A Heavenly Way To Die
by SummerJane'10
Summary: 18 year old, Rachel's, first experience with vampires doesn't go exactly as planned and soon she's in over her head with love, lust, blood.  Living with the infamous playboy Eric Northman, 2 months later, she wonders how she got in so deep.
1. Chapter 1

**A Heavenly Way To Die: **_**Prologue**_

Rachel didn't know what to say for a moment. She stared at Pam for a second to take in what she had just said. Pam cocked her head to one side impatiently. Rachel looked away from her for a moment to look at her jealous friend who was looking at her incredulously. She knew that if her friend were in this position, she would have shot up and disappeared with the blonde woman without a second to spare, taking the woman up on her offer without a second thought. Rachel stared down at her hands nervously before replying, "Why?"

"Because he has summoned you." Pam answered icily. Rachel looked up at her again and shivered.

"Do I have a choice?" Rachel asked, looking vulnerable. Knowing that her friend was wondering what she was still doing sitting here.

"No." Pam replied curtly, "Now come." Rachel latched on to her best friend Claire's arm as if to ask if she were allowed to come too. She didn't want to go up there alone. Pam nodded and smiled, "I don't think he'll mind." Claire beamed and nodded her own head eagerly. Claire was the one who had forced Rachel into coming. Telling her that she'd "love it". Rachel didn't love it. It scared and disgusted her all at once. Rachel finally agreed and shakily got up from her seat at the bar. She was still hesitant and unwilling but she didn't seem to have many other options.

She followed Pam and Claire to the front of the room where a tall, magnificent, blonde vampire was lounging in his thrown. Claire smiled seductively at him and showed off her "assets". Rachel took in a sharp intake of breath and swallowed nervously. The blonde vampire was not alone. In a chair beside him was a much younger looking vampire with short brown hair and an expression on his face that could only be described as sympathetic.

"Hello, welcome to Fangtasia." The blonde vampire greeted the two girls, "I'm Eric the owner of this club and this is Godric." He indicated to the vampire next to him, "And you are?" He inquired.

"Hi." Claire smiled, "I'm Claire and this is my best friend Rachel. She's never been here before but we're real excited to meet y'all." She chimed.

"You're friend does not seem to share your anxious point of view." Godric commented. He had an accent that Rachel couldn't place. He looked her up and down. Taking in her black skirt and white pale pink blouse. Her outfit was not revealing but she looked appetizing either way. He thought that she probably didn't know how appealing she looked for a vampire such as Eric. Eric was used to getting everything he wanted served to him in a little black (or red) dress. She looked so innocent, so… pure.

"Do you dislike vampires älskare_ (lover)_?" Eric asked. Rachel wasn't quite sure what he just called her because it was in a different language but she hoped it was something good. She shook her head.

"I don't think it's my right to dislike you. I actually think it's good that vampires "came out of the coffin". I just have to get used to it I guess." Eric chucked at her response. It was an infatuating sound and Rachel managed to smile meekly at him.

"Why are you here?" He asked her.

"I brought her here." Claire said quickly before Rachel could answer, bringing the attention back to her, "She wasn't too keen on the idea but I just wanted her to experience your world for a night. It's intoxicating." Claire smiled and Eric raised one eyebrow at her. This was the sort girl that he usually went for. Blonde, not too smart and totally willing to yield to his every wish. But how could he be interested in such a girl when a beautiful, perfect little alternative was standing right in front of him. He had never been one to adopt a pet but he couldn't help but want to do so now with this girl. Although, there is nothing wrong with getting the best of both worlds.

"Perhaps you'd _both _like to experience more of it this evening." Eric's gaze was fixed on Rachel. A permanent and cocky smirk on his face.

"I think I've had more than enough for one night thank you." Rachel replied before Claire could for her. Her voice was soft and she pleaded that she he wouldn't object to her wishes. She of course didn't get what she had pleaded for.

"You're sure about that?" Eric was suddenly pulling her forwards to sit her across his lap. Playing absentmindedly with her light brown hair and tucking it behind her ear. He was staring into her eyes and she couldn't move or look away. It was like she was drowning in endless blue.

"Eric, är även hon oskyldig (_Eric, she's too innocent)._" Godric said. Eric didn't look away from her as he spoke to his maker.

"Jag tycker om sin naivitet men jag ska njuta av att ta det ännu mer (_I enjoy her naivety but I'm going to enjoy taking it even more_)." Eric laughed, "Go now." He directed at Claire in English. She looked crestfallen. Rachel pulled away from her hypnotized trance and reached out for Claire, she wanted to go with her. She whimpered pathetically but Eric forced her eyes back on his and she dropped her arm. She closed her eyes defeated and Eric kissed her eyelids. Godric sighed softly and looked away from the two.

"I'll escort her friend out." His tone was flat and Claire knew not to take this as a signal and get her hopes up. Rachel's breath caught and a single tear rolled down her cheek unnoticed.

Eric pulled her up by the hand and led her to the back rooms of Fangtasia.

"Don't be afraid älskare." Eric told her and brought her into a small and very cramped office. She shook slightly as he sat her down on the couch in the room.

"Please don't do this." She cried. Eric forced her to look at him. She had to admit, he was breathtaking even for a vampire.

"I won't do anything you don't want me to." He reassured her. She pursed her lips together and nodded.

"No biting then." She said as assertively as possible, "And none of that hypnotizing thing you do either."

"I never had to _glamour_ you älskare. You came her all by yourself." Eric was lying but she seemed to believe him.

"Why would I do that?" She didn't know if she was talking to him or herself.

"Because part of you wanted this. Part of you wants me." Eric told her and leaned in a little closer so that they're lips were practically touching.

"You swear you won't hurt me?" She asked in a small voice.

"I swear I will never hurt you." And with that he closed the space between them.


	2. Take Me Out Tonight

**Hi people who are reading this. That makes you cool btw. Please don't hesitate to review cause well… I kinda love it. I'm narcissistic that way. So you know, here's the first chapter for your reading pleasure.**

**XOXO**

**Summer Jane **

**~…~**

That was all two months ago. The first time Rachel met Eric, the first kiss and all that seemed like forever ago to her. So here she was, 8 weeks later, looking in a beautiful mirror, hung on a elegant bathroom wall next to a porcelain bathtub and sink, wondering how she got here. She wiped the steam from the mirror and brushed through her wet, light brown hair until all the knots were gone. She stared into the reflection of her emerald green eyes and wrapped a towel around herself. She was trying to see what Eric saw when he called her "_vacker_" which meant "_beautiful_" in Swedish as it turned out. She still didn't get it. Rachel glanced at her watch and saw that it was 5pm. He was probably awake already. She sucked in a deep breath and wrapped the towel more securely around her body. Even though it had been 2 months since she'd know him and 1 month since she'd accepted that she was "his", she was still nervous every time she saw him. She calmed her nerves as best as she could and stepped out into his (or was it theirs? She didn't want to assume anything) bedroom.

"Good evening älskare (_lover_). He purred in his usual manner that made her weak in the knees. He beckoned for her to join him in bed, "Why were you not beside me when I awoke?" He scolded her sternly.

"I took a shower." She answered.

"I would rather you wait to do such mundane things. I like the feeling of your warm body beside mine when I rise." He instructed her.

"You also prefer breakfast in bed." She scowled.

"That's true as well." He laughed and his fangs clicked out. She flinched. She hated this part. Most people seem to think that it is extremely pleasurable to get fed on. Well she didn't take their point of view. Maybe when they were doing… other things… then it was nice but not now. Eric kept drinking from her until she was begging him to stop, "It's what I am älskare, one day you're just going to have to accept that." Rachel nodded and faced away from him. She was still drifting down memory lane. She kept flashing back to the time when she had to tell all her friends in her former home of Bon Temps that she was moving. That included an angry blowout with her on and off boyfriend, Jason Stackhouse. But the thing that was really on her mind was that she hasn't heard from her best friend Claire in over two weeks. She tried phoning, texting, emailing… she even tried Facebook! Claire never responded or picked up though. It was starting to really worry her.

"Is Godric coming tonight?" Rachel asked Eric hopefully. She really liked Godric, he was kind and caring and sweet to her all the time. She loved being around him. He was so… calming.

"I have some business to attend to, so probably not, no." He laughed without humor, "Sometimes I think that you like him more than me."

"I do." She teased and she kissed his chest lightly when he growled at her, "What business must you 'attend' to."

"Just a V dealer, he's being contained at the moment in the basement but I need to question him tonight." Rachel shivered at the mention of the basement. She had been down there once for one of Eric's sick games and she didn't plan on ever going back.

"Can't I just stay here then? She asked. She was hoping that his answer would be 'of course Rachel, whatever you want' but when it came to Eric she never got what she wanted.

"Don't be silly Rachel, Chow will be busy assisting me tonight so I need you to bartend for me." He told her, brushing her hair out with his fingers.

"Okay, whatever you need." Rachel like to surprise Eric sometimes by saying the exact opposite of what he expected her to say. He looked at her for a moment in silence before laughing.

"Always with the unexpected, common then, we should go soon. I have some paperwork to complete before the bar opens." Eric grinned. Rachel hopped up to get changed into something appropriate for working at a vampire bar. She tried on a cute red skirt and the official Fangtasia; black t-shirt that Eric had given her for such occasions. Eris shook his head disapprovingly when she came out to show him, "That skirt is much too short." Eric literally ripped it off her and threw it on the other side of the room.

"I liked it." She grumbled.

"Too short for others to see, too long for my tastes." Eric said in full seriousness, "Try on those new jeans I bought you."

"Jeans?" She asked skeptically. He nodded and threw them at her dismissively. Eric was already dressed in his usual black tank top and jeans. She smiled at his exposed chest and arms, "So you're allowed to wear that tease of an outfit but I'm not allowed to wear a skirt?"

"Put them on now!" He barked, clearly not amused. She retreated a little and he rolled his eyes, "I said now." His voice was a little softer. Rachel nodded and thought 'when did he lose his sense of humor?' She bitterly slipped on the pair of jeans, "Excellent they fit perfectly." Eric clapped his hands together and retrieved a brush to comb through her hair once again. He it together into a high ponytail and allowed her to apply some makeup before shoeing her out the door.

When they got to Fangtasia, Pam was at the door to greet them. She eyed Rachel before smiling; " Jag sa ju Eric det spelar ingen roll vad du klär henne i att hon fortfarande ser läckra (_I told you Eric it doesn't matter what you dress her in she still looks delicious_)." Pam said. Rachel hated it when they talked in a different language. She never knew if they were saying good things or bad thing but she did know they were talking about her. Eric didn't seem amused by Pam's comment, which made her even more uncomfortable.

"Jo jag försökte mitt bästa Pamela, kanske du bör bevaka henne ikväll om du är så bekymrad (_Well I tried my best Pamela, perhaps you should keep watch on her tonight if you're so concerned_)." Eric retorted.

"And miss all the fun? I don't think so." Pam gave one more glance over Rachel before stepping aside as Eric led her into the club and stationed her at the bar. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her full on the lips. Rachel could feel everyone's eyes on her and she knew Eric was marking his "property". He assumed that in addition to the marks on her neck this would mean that nobody would dare touch her. He kissed her once more on the neck before disappearing into the back of the club.

**~Rachel~**

"Can I have a sip of A Positive, and I don't mean Tru Blood." A vampire winked at me, he was suddenly in front of me sitting at the bar. I knew I was an A Positive blood type and I didn't plan on sharing with this creep.

"Sorry I'm only serving Tru Blood." I tried to be as polite as possible.

"Oh really? Doesn't look like that considering the bite marks on your neck." He was staring intently at where Eric's teeth had left puncture wounds.

"I'm Eric's." I stated. It wasn't the first time I had said so in this bar.

"Then where is he?" The vampire persisted with a victorious smirk on his face. I took a step away from him. He was really starting to freak me out. His hair was pitch black as were his eyes. I didn't see why he was wasting his time with me when he could probably have his pick of any women at this bar.

"Please don't make me go get him." I threatened.

"Go ahead." He reached out to touch my lips with his cold fingers, "See I know Eric Northman a little and I know that he only cares about himself. But go right ahead a fool yourself into thinking differently cause when he tells you he doesn't give a shit…" He smiled and his fangs were fully extended, "I'll be right here waiting and then we'll have a little fun of our own." I backed off and practically ran from the bar. I heard his menacing chuckling coming and then him yelling from behind me, "I'll be patient doll but only 'cause you're just too scrumptious looking to give up on." Tears were stinging in my eyes until they finally fell down my cheeks. My lips burning from where he had touched me. I wrapped my arms around my waist and knocked repeatedly on the door of a room in which I heard shouts coming from. Pam opened the door and looked at me disapprovingly. I was shaking on the spot.

"Your master is not really in the right mood right now." She said and tried to close the door on me.

"Pam." I heard Eric say from inside the room. Pam sighed and opened the door to let me in. Eric was before me in an instant. His hands gripping my arms tightly, I noticed that his hair and mouth was covered in blood, "Is there a reason you have abandoned your station, leaving my customers down a bartender?" He asked sternly.

"T-there's t-this v-vampire who won't go away and he's saying things that… w-well you know." I tried to be as brave as possible but I was really shaken up.

"I told you to tell them you're mine when this comes up. Must you always be so stubborn?"

"I-I did b-but well he didn't believe me and h-he said that if I d-didn't prove it he would…" I didn't even have to finish my sentence.

"Chow." Eric looked up from me while he put a hand on my cheek and softly started brushing the teardrops away, "Escort the gentleman in question out immediately and make sure it is clear that he is not to return." Chow glared at me but followed Eric's instructions and left the room. I felt sick looking at Eric with all that blood on his face and backed away from him slowly. Pam was grumbling something and urged him to sit down so she could start snipping at his hair with the scissors she was holding.

"Rachel?" I heard someone that I hadn't yet noticed inside the room ask. I looked around and saw Lafayette - the fry cook from Merlotte's and one of my best friends – sitting on a chair meekly. He was also covered in blood and around his neck was a huge metal chain that could only be described as a dog collar of sorts.

"Oh my god." I stood still as I looked him over then I snapped out of it and ran to throw my arms around him, "Lafayette? Where have you been? Everyone's been real worried about you, Tara especially. I didn't know if you were ever coming back, people have been talking you know?" I was so wrapped up in this new revelation that Lafayette was okay that I didn't notice Eric watching me curiously.

"Bitch," Lafayette said affectionately, "you better get your nice ass the hell outta here and don't come back. I don't want to mix you up in all this shit too."

"Mixed up in what? What happened to you? I retreated a little to stare at Eric who was staring right back at me.

"She needs to know nothing." Eric hissed sternly to Lafayette who nodded, "How do you know each other?" He asked me in a more pleasant tone.

"He works at Merlotte's with me. Eric what's going on?" I asked again this time more assertively.


	3. Where there's music and there's people

**Hi everyone. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and I hope that more people will be inspired to leave their thoughts after this chapter. Ideas and opinions are always welcome, especially if you want something to happen in this story… I'm not a psychic; you need to tell me what you want! Also, I would like to personally apologize for Mr. Northman's behavior in the chapter you are about to read. I am truly sorry but I guess it's true what they say… some people will NEVER change. **

**XOXO**

**Summer Jane**

**~Eric~**

I looked at my pet for a moment before answering. She was unaware that a lot of blood had gotten on her. I couldn't send her back to the like that.

"That's none of your concern." I told her and without taking another moment to let argue, "Pam won't you take Rachel home?" I only called her Rachel when I was angry or sometimes when I was addressing other people.

"It would be my absolute pleasure Eric then I'll just leave your hair in this condition and you'll never be able to get the blood out." Pam sneered.

"Fine, finish this." I turned to look at my pet, "Go and wait for me in the other room. The one at the end of the hall." The room at the end of the hall was a fully secured lightproof bedroom in case of emergencies. Rachel shook her head stubbornly and held on to Lafayette's hand, "Fine then you'll wait in the basement with your friend." I saw her physically shiver and grow pale at the thought. Chow had returned and prepared to take the drug dealer back to the basement. He grabbed Rachel's arm as well with unnecessary force. She yelped and I saw pure fear in her eyes. I smiled and signaled for Chow to release him. He obliged hesitantly. She threw one last hopeless glance at Lafayette before scrambling out of the room. Pam laughed in amusement.

"Don't do anything to that girl, she ain't done nothing to nobody in her entire life. So you just let her be." Lafayette's previous fear faded out of his eyes as he spoke of my little pet with compassion. If he wasn't so obliviously gay I might even be jealous and perhaps rip his head off for such passion but I let it slide. As he was dragged away I leaned back in my chair to give Pam full control and closed my eyes. Remembering with fondness the time I brought my little lover down to the basement.

**~…~**

She was scared as Eric led her down the creepy stairs down to bellow the club. In the basement it was completely concrete with chains hanging from the ceiling. It held no occupants at that time and Eric smiled as he wrapped his arms around his little lover's waist. She shook slightly. This was the first time she's been asked to bartend and was wearing jean shorts and the club's shirt she was given. Eric ran his tongue over the bite marks he'd left from the night before.

"Eric can't we just go back upstairs? If you really want to do this right now isn't there a room at the end of the hall?" Rachel protested but he ignored her and took her hand leading her to where shackles were hanging from the ceiling.

"But this is so much more fun." Eric argued while taking her wrist and securing them inside the cuffs.

"Ow. Eric. Stop!" She yelped and tried to pull her second wrist away but he had a good grip on it. Once she was completely helpless he ripped the shirt from Rachel's body and started kissing down her neck. He was midway through taking her bra off which was almost the last thing to come off when he realized that she was crying softly. He licked away her tears and hoisted her up to wrap her legs around his waist.

"Why are you crying pet? It can't possible be of pleasure yet but surely it's not displeasure either."

"Eric let me down please." She sobbed and he contemplated glamouring her into enjoying herself but decided against the idea. Though he would normally do nothing of the sort, he detached her wrists. After all, what did he possibly have to gain from her being unhappy?

"Tell me why you object so much to this." He took her face between his hands but she just shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you." Was all she said. He shrugged and looked disappointed, she sighed, "Does this mean we can't resume where we left off minus the shackles?" A smile slowly crept across Eric's face.

**~Eric~**

I snapped out of the memory and smiled as I looked at my freshly cut hair. I had to admit, it looked better and much sexier. Pam beamed at her work as I ran a hand through it and praised her profusely.

"She won't be able to keep her hands off you." Pam whispered eagerly. She too was fond of my human, way too fond for Rachel's comfort. I did ask her however to keep most of her sexual comments to herself in my pet's presence.

"She's not too happy with me right now." I grumbled, standing from the chair.

"I'm sure she'll get over it." Pam rolled her eyes at me over dramatically and turned to return to the club. It was full tonight therefore I probably should make an appearance. I planned on taking Rachel home and then come back to grace the crowd with my presence. I walked to the room at the end of the hall. Rachel was sitting on the bed with a stiffened posture and pale face. She looked up at me when I entered the room; her eyes widened as she gazed at my newly improved appearance but didn't comment on it. She looked away, determined not to give in.

"He's a V dealer, he had to be punished and questioned." I told her. She didn't look at me again or speak. After what seemed like an eternity she raised her head to meet my eyes.

"Please let him go." It came out as a whisper and I growled in frustration, "For me." She finished.

"No." I said flatly, not leaving any room for discussion but she tried anyways. I cut her off as she opened her mouth to argue, "I am not letting him go, not until I get what I want out of him."

"Not even for me?"

"Not for anyone!" I hissed back at her desperate plea, "I would not push me on this Rachel."

"But I'm sure he's sorry and he'll never do it again! He's in a dog collar and covered in blood! Don't you think you've punished him enough?" She protested. Getting off the bed swiftly and up on her tiptoes to try and get eye level with me. She didn't quite make it.

"Irrelevant." I pushed her back a little, "He's not going anywhere."

"Please Eric! He's one of my best friends!" She cried. There was a knock on the door before Pam entered.

"Eric your maker is here to visit." She said and left as Godric entered the room. Rachel ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. He stroked her hair comfortingly and looked over her head to stare at me incredulously.

"What's the matter lilla (_little one_)? Tell me what upsets you so." He whispered in her ear.

"He's a monster." She sobbed and my fangs clicked out. She looked at them with tear filled eyes and made a small gasp before burying her face back into my maker's shoulder.

"Do not speak to me in such a fashion, you will not live long enough to regret it." I warned her icily. Godric gave me a disapproving look as she shook with fear in his arms. I rolled my eyes, "She's being ridiculous." I explained and she tore away from Godric.

"I'm being ridiculous? You have one of my oldest friends locked up in your basement like he's a wild animal and _I'm _being ridiculous? For what Eric? _Caring_? These are _feelings_, do you even remember what it was like to have those?"

"Det är allt (_that's it_)!" I shouted in my native tongue and pinned her up against the wall maybe a little too forcefully. She withered in pain and blood started trickling down her arm from where he elbow had hit the wall, "You shall speak to me with respect do you understand me? If not then it will be you down there chained to the wall and it will not be for the same reasons as last time. Do I make myself clear?" She nodded and swallowed hard. She was terrified and tears were running down her cheeks freely. I released her and she crumpled to the floor.

"Eric…" Godric tried to be the voice of reason as usual but I would have none of that this evening.

"Take her home with you, I do not wish her in my sight for the time being." Retracting my fangs I dusted myself off and left the scene. Already picking out the girls I would use to replace her tonight.


	4. And they're young and alive

**Dear readers, **

**I was ecstatic to hear all your lovely comments and suggestions though I honestly don't know who Rachel will end up with yet. BUT there's a way you can help me choose. Make sure to write "Team Eric" or "Team Godric" in the review section to voice your opinion and let me know where you want this story to go. For all you Godric fans, there will be a little R&G one on one time in this chapter and make sure to look forward to future chapters where Godric will get his own point of view on everything. **

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**Summer Jane**

**~Rachel~**

"He'll forgive you, I promise it." Godric's words, though comforting didn't help my current state, nor did I believe them. I didn't care anyways. I didn't want forgiveness. I didn't need Eric to forgive me because I had nothing to be forgiven for. What had I done? Offended him with my bitter words? Maybe… though that's nothing new. He's very sensitive when he thinks he's being disrespected. I didn't understand why he wouldn't just try and do something to make me happy for once. Why couldn't he try to be nice? I turned away from Godric and flopped on to my stomach in the very comfortable four-poster bed. He had refurnished it since I met Eric. I think it's because he was anticipating these sorts of situations. I wiped away the last tears that my eyes had to offer. I wouldn't cry anymore for him. He didn't deserve it. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction anymore.

"Thank you. For letting me stay here." I told Godric and smiled at him weakly. My eyes were beginning to droop.

"You are welcome here anytime." Godric replied though he didn't return the smile as he said it, "I wish your time here was under more pleasant circumstances." He said and turned to leave the room.

"Godric?" I asked softly and he turned around again, "What now?" I know that he knew I meant it more in general. What happens if Eric doesn't take me back? He convinced me to rent out my house for 2 years when I moved out. Where would I go? Could I stay here? I don't have much money since I quit my job at Merlotte's and Eric doesn't pay me for working at Fangtasia, he kind of expects it. Godric sat down at the end of the bed.

"He'll calm down and apologize, I am sure of it." He stated as if he were confident of his words.

"No he won't." I replied. We both knew that Eric would not apologize for his actions, or for anything else for that matter.

"He might surprise you." Godric smiled, "I know he cares for you even if he refuses to admit it."

"I know he 'enjoys' me, 'cares' is a word that isn't in his vocabulary." I told him and he shook his head.

"Do not doubt his feelings for you." He moved closed to me and put his hand on my cheek, rubbing it lightly.

"What feelings? He has no feelings, he's dead." Bitterness was dripping into my voice. Godric seemed saddened by my words.

"As am I lilla." Godric pointed out. I took his hand off my cheek and intertwined his fingers with mine.

"But you're different Godric." I sighed. A smiled returned to his lips and he leaned down a little closer to my face.

"Perhaps now but I was very much the same at his age." He smiled, "Have faith in him, you'll see. We are much more a like then you think." Godric got up as if to leave but then he changed his mind and kneeled beside the bed I was laying in. He stared me right in the eyes; "It is not always easy to tell the person you truly care about how you feel. Even if you are an old vampire." And with that he was gone. I watched the door where he had exited, stunned for a moment. I couldn't even think about falling asleep after all of this so I went over to the window and watched the sun rise. It had been a long time since I'd done so. After, I cuddled back in bed, leaving the curtain open slightly and let exhaustion overcome me.

**~Eric~**

I stared down at the girl with the same colored hair as Rachel before telling her to, "Get out." She looked shocked for a moment. She put a hand over the spot where my teeth had pierced her. Blood was still flowing down her neck. She stood and wobbled a bit then left without a word. I was grateful for that. She seemed to be a bit like Rachel in that manner. When it came to taking her somewhere she would put up such a fuss but she never said a word when it came to leaving. I leaned back on the couch in my office and put my head in my hands. This had truly been a bad night. Rachel was with Godric now and he was no doubt leaving subtle hints that he cared for her very deeply which, she probably wouldn't understand. I was well aware of Godric's feelings for Rachel though he thought he was being subtle about it. I knew something was up the moment he decided to move close to Shreveport. That was a few weeks after he'd visited me and met Rachel. He had taken to her immediately and wanted to tell her very badly about how he felt. He didn't though, because of me. I was the complication in his plan. She was mine and always would be. Usually I'd be more than happy to give anything I possessed to my maker but this one was different. No one was taking her away from me without a fight. So why had I done it? Sent her with him willingly when I could have ended the fight with a simple 'I'll let your friend go'. But I hadn't, I'd given her more reason to resent me. Maybe I truly was a monster.

I left Fangtasia shortly after sucking the ecstasy out of another young girl with the same eyes as Rachel. I still had an hour until dawn and I got into my corvette and headed for home though I knew it would be empty. When I got there I went to my room and lay on my bed. I glanced at the clock. The sun would be rising around now. I wondered if Rachel was watching the sunrise. She'd always said how she missed doing such things. That was another thing I couldn't give her. I sighed and closed my eyes. I felt the sun coming up and it pulled me into a deeper and deeper trance until I fell completely into unconscious.

**~Rachel~**

The next evening I convinced Godric to drive me to Merlotte's. He seemed distant the entire ride and wouldn't look at me for too long. I wondered if I was something I did wrong. Maybe I'd over stepped my welcome a little bit though he didn't seem to mind at all that I was there last night. In fact I thought that he'd kind of liked the company. I knew Godric got lonely. He seemed sad a lot and I wanted to help but knew that I couldn't. So I pretended I was occupied as well and stared out the window. Sam had convinced me to pick up a shift that night because Sookie couldn't come in. Some problem with… what's his name? It's her vampire boyfriend and I knew for a fact that Eric loather him for some reason. I don't know why. I knew better than to bring it up. Anyways, it was just Arlene, Terry and I working tonight. Arlene had good intentions and all but was a major gossip. Terry was nice, a bit too nice and fragile for a guy with his appearance. Sam was also trying to help out.

Sam was my other ex in this small town and owned the bar. I'd dated him for a very short period of time since we'd always known it was wrong considering my age compared to him. After that the long (and painful) Jason Stackhouse experience occurred and went on ever since. Before I met Eric of course. Jason could be extremely charming though he definitely wasn't the smartest guy around. He was extremely attractive and had a smile that could leave you breathless. But no matter what I tried, he could not remain faithful. At least with Eric I kind of understand, I mean he's a 1000-year-old vampire and all. Jason, though, I thought he's run out of women to sleep with eventually since we lived in a small town but he never seemed to. Worst of all though, he wasn't too good at cheating, even if he did it so much. I'd always catch him and we'd have this huge blow out and I'd scream_, "You don't love me and you never will!"_ and then he's try to reason with me and tell me, "_Of course I love you Rache, more than anything and you know it!"_ I'd scoff and say something that would make him as mad as me and then he'd start yelling back and we'd break up yet again. He's scream that he wasn't EVER coming back this time and I yelled something about how that was just fine by me. Then 2 weeks later he's be back at my door whispering hollow promises and I'd believe him…. Again. Then there would be a great grace period full of commitment, talk of marriage and great sex. Then finally I'd walk in on him with someone else and the cycle would start all over again. It was all very played out and I always ended up wondering when I became so fucking stupid.

I sighed as I saw Jason sitting at the bar as I walked in for work.

"Rachel!" I looked up to see Sam watching me disapprovingly, "You're late." Everyone turned around to look at me. I blushed and they turned their eyes away, whispering in hushed tones, except Jason that is. I put my hands on my hips and gave Sam a stern look.

"I wouldn't be complaining if I were you Sam Merlotte. I don't really work for you anymore remember?" I huffed.

"Tonight you do." Sam laughed and went over to me to give me a hug. He asked me how I've been and what was new etc. After all the pleasantries and telling me what to do I went behind the bar to het a tray of food.

"Rache." Jason put a hand lightly on my shoulder as I passed him by, "I just wanted to…"

"Not now Jason, we'll talk later okay?" He nodded and I moved past him.

**~Eric~**

I sat on my thrown and looked down at tonight's crowd. The club was very busy and Pam was smiling at a thin blonde sitting at the bar with a drink in her hand. There were tons of beautiful girls dancing and moving their way through the crowd to try and get a better look at me. Many came up to me and tried to keep my attention but my mind was on other matters. Business in particular, a rogue church was posing yet another threat on our kind. At first I wasn't too concerned but now they seemed to take a particular hatred to the vampires in Godric's area. I needed to take my mind off of it and I knew who would but my pet hadn't made an appearance. She had mentioned something about working tonight yet surely begging for forgiveness trumped waiting tables. I didn't understand her. The blond that Pam was smiling at was getting more and more flirtatious and Pam's smiled were growing wider in anticipation. I got up from my thrown and tore Pam away from the girl to get her to do some paperwork for me.

"What's your problem?" She asked incredulously as I tore her away from the girl and sat her down on the couch in my office.

"Just do what you're told Pam." I then returned to the club, ignoring the long list of profanities that followed me.

**~Rachel~**

Well that "talk" with Jason turned into "drinks" wit Jason, which turned into more drinks with Jason. We were reminiscing about the good times in our relationship, which was never a good sign. Currently we were laughing about the awful presents he used to by me for my birthday or holidays.

"I could never get it right could I?" Jason smiled and I shook my head.

"Remember that one Valentine's Day you bought me a new wrench to fix my water pipes." I giggled.

"You needed one!" He exclaimed.

"That was the year I bought you that baseball signed by that pitcher you liked so much." I shook my head and sighed, "I remember I waited in line forever to get that thing signed."

"I love that ball, it's still the centerpiece on my mantle. I always bought you the worst gifts ever and you always bought me something irreplaceable." He chuckled in a sad sort of way, "And you know what always gets me? You pretended to love every single little stupid thing I gave you. You'd always run up to me and give me a big hug and kiss, swearing that you loved it."

"I was grateful you got me anything at all I guess." I smiled, "You forgot my birthday that one time remember?"

"Aw, shit that's right." He smiled sheepishly, "God though, a wrench? Did I know you at all?"

"Must not have." I mused and played with the empty glass in my hand.

"I should've." He said and I took his hand in mine. This is why "talks" with Jason never end the way I planned. He leaned forward a bit and so did I but right before our lips met… a moment I'd no doubt regret for a very long time… my phone rang. Thank god.

"I'm sorry." I lied and pulled out my phone. The caller ID read 'Fangtasia'.

"No worries." Jason answered, "You should take it." I gave him an apologetic look as I pressed the talk button.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Where the fuck, are you?" Someone shouted into the other end but to my surprise it wasn't the person I was expecting.

"Pam?" I asked.

"Who else? Now explain to me why you're not here on your hands and knees groveling for forgiveness like you should be?" She demanded.

"I'm working at Merlotte's tonight." I said.

"You're shift ended an hour ago." She stated coldly. Shit, how did she seem to know everything about my life?

"I got held up." I spat back, mimicking her tone of voice. She chuckled cruelly. I looked at Jason who was looking at me with an expression of alarm.

"Look if I'm keeping you from something…" He started but Pam cut him off in a voice loud enough for him to hear.

"Who was that?" She asked. I cursed mentally.

"A friend." I responded, "Look I don't know why you're calling me but…" I got interrupted as well.

"I'm calling you, " She seemed exasperated though her voice was more controlled, "because he is getting impatient and irritable." She explained slowly before barking, "So I suggest you get your scrawny ass down her immediately."

"I don't have a car." I responded automatically. I was being defiant which was weird because usually she scared me to death. The alcohol must be giving my courage.

"Not my problem." And with that, Pam slammed down the phone.


	5. Driving In Your Car

**Dear Readers and Reviewers, **

**So some of you have asked questions about Rachel's motivation in all of this and I have to tell you that you are right to say that she is a bit of a pushover (especially in this chapter). Please remember though that she is terrified of Eric, though she is not being held against her will… he still scares her. No, she is not some kind of supernatural creature and just unaware of her powers… she's human who's facing a bit of a dilemma. Godric's too nice, Eric's too cruel and Jason's a slut… to put it simply. Don't worry, those labels are going to change a very soon. So maybe Rachel will get more badass, Godric won't be so humanity loving, Eric might be the voice of reason and Jason might be… monogamous? Who knows what could happen? I'm leaving this whole thing very open ended at the moment so don't hesitate to tell me what you think should happen! Also please keep telling me whether you're Team Godric/Team Eric OR Team Jason… if that's what your into. **

**XOXO**

**Summer Jane**

**~Rachel~**

30 minutes later I was walking into Fangtasia. I had called a cab to take me there from Merlotte's and thank god I had gotten a lot of tips that night or else I wouldn't have had any money to pay the guy with. Pam shot me a smug look as she let me in but I tried to ignore her the best I could.

"He's on his throne." She told me. I was more nervous to see Eric than I had been in a while. Sure, he always brought up feelings of unease but he scared me a lot more when he was angry. Even with the liquid courage I had consumed I couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of my stomach that was telling me to run for it. I approached the throne to see that 2 girls were already talking to Eric. They were giggling and twirling their hair, nibbling on their glossy red lips and smiling like infants. I bit back my pride and waited. He noticed me almost immediately and much to my satisfaction he didn't ignore my presence and make me stand there like a kid who had been picked last for teams.

"Excuse me ladies." He muttered. The girls looked at one and other confused and a pout was visible on their lips. I had to stop myself from laughing at their faces. I assumed that I was meant to follow Eric so I did. I weaved my way after him through the growing crowd of dancing people, vampires and humans alike. I took deep breaths as I tried to pull myself together on the way to his office. When I reached the door that Eric had disappeared into I was surprised to see that he had closed it behind him. I knocked hesitantly before turning the door handle and walking into the room. Before I could even blink I felt a cold hand over my mouth and teeth sinking into my neck. This is it. I'm going to die. I tried to scream but the hand muffled it and I knew that no one was coming to help me. So this was how it all ended. I guess it served me right for playing with fire… or in this case I guess ice. My body was going limp, my struggling was futile, I could feel my eyes closing but before I felt total darkness take over me. There was hope.

**~Eric~**

"You stupid little girl!" I hissed at her. She was staring blankly in front of her on the couch I sat her on. Blood was dripping down her neck. It teased me as it slid past her collarbone and down her shirt. I hadn't bothered cleaning up after myself let alone offering her my own blood. I was in no mood for sympathy, "How dare you treat me with such disrespect?" I demanded. I had heard Pam on the phone with her and I had heard the voice of the man she had been with. I did not take kindly to infidelity… well not on her part anyways.

"I'm sorry." She said simply, "Thank you for not killing me." She sounded so sincere that it decimated a little bit of my anger.

"Who were you with?" I asked. She smelled of him, whoever it was and I was hoping for a straight answer so that I wouldn't have to glamour her to find out.

"Jason Stackhouse." She said flatly.

"Stackhouse?" Sookie's brother, "Why were you with him?" Jason Stackhouse was one of the men Lafayette had been selling the V to. I didn't want him hanging around my human. Besides I knew of their little relationship and that didn't make me anymore willing to letting her speak to him.

"We're friends, we were talking at Merlotte's after my shift. That's it Eric I swear." I contemplated what she said and found that I believed her. I retreated behind my desk, sat down on my chair and put my feet up on the table. I leaned back and continued to watch her. She looked up at me suddenly and caught my eye, "I'm not going to grovel you know." She stated firmly though she still looked weak.

"What do you mean?" I asked, already losing interest in this conversation. She was trying to prove something again and I really couldn't care less what it was.

"Pam said that I should beg for your forgiveness, well I'm not going to. I just thought I'd let you know." I was standing in front of her in an instant. She didn't even flinch. Perhaps she was starting to get used to my sudden actions or perhaps she was too numb at the moment to react. Either way I didn't understand why she couldn't let anything go. She continued to torment me. Did she really just come here to tell me that she wasn't going to apologize for the way she had behaved?

"I'm sorry that I disrespected you but I'm not going to apologize for asking you to let Lafayette go." Rachel whispered. Her voice was soft but held no emotion. Her eyes were drooping and she seemed to be only half conscious of her surroundings. I glanced at her throat and the blood still hadn't stopped falling from the rather large gashes in her neck. I sighed and sat down on the couch next to her. My fangs extended and I brought my mouth to my neck and bit into my wrist.

"Come here." I said and pulled her to me. She didn't resist and calmly put her lips to my wrist and tentatively started sucking. The color began to return in her cheeks and the wounds on her neck closed up. I pulled away and she licked her lips before looking up at me again.

"Thank you but that doesn't change the way I feel." She said. God she was stubborn. I sighed again and massaged the bridge of my nose.

"Perhaps I will let him go in time." I muttered. It was like it triggered something in her and she threw her arms around me and sobbed into my chest uncontrollably. I was unable to react to this kind of sudden emotions. I held very still and waited for her to stop. I couldn't comfort her the way Godric had and might never be able to do so.

"Can I go home now?" She asked and I liked the way she considered it her home. I nodded.

"Pam shall take you." I told her and right on cue Pam appeared in the doorway and nodded at me. I was surprised. Usually this was something she would protest. Rachel stood up shakily and her eyes found mine, they were full of pleading and remorse.

"I will consider letting him go in the very near future I promise." I finally gave in. I wouldn't need her friend for much longer anyways, may as well make her think that it was because of her. She smiled and came over to kiss me on the lips. I returned the kiss with quite a bit of enthusiasm, "I'll be home soon." Her smile grew a bit wider and she nodded eagerly. I planted another kiss on her neck and she turned and followed Pam out of the club. I sighed and fell back into my chair. She had gotten to me. She always seemed to get to me in the end. No matter how hard I try to pull away. I need a drink.

**~…~**

The car ride with Pam was silent. Rachel looked out the window the entire time and watched the rain fall outside. The drops were streaming down the glass like it was crying, "He likes you, you know." Pam started to speak. Rachel looked over at her with surprise, "Probably not as much as Godric does but that's only to be expected, we know how Godric has a thing for humanity." Pam scoffed and kept her eyes on the road. Rachel looked at her for a very long time before answering.

"Godric doesn't like me like that." She said. Pam laughed and the sound made her skin crawl.

"You sure about that?" Pam asked and turned away from the road for a spit second to glance at Rachel. She smiled as Rachel nodded, "Okay then, whatever you say human." She turned back to the road, still smiling. Rachel looked distraught for a moment before a cute smile slowly crept across her lips.

"Do you like me Pam?" She giggled.

"No." Pam said quickly, "I'm just trying to make conversation. I'm only being pleasant for Eric's benefit." There was something in her tone that tipped Rachel off that she was lying.

"I think you do." Rachel pressed on ignoring the death glares she got from Pam, "Maybe just a little?" She raised one eyebrow and leaned in a little closer.

"Well I don't… hate you." Pam said and Rachel grinned in triumph.

"I knew it!" Rachel laughed contently.

"You're playing with fire." Pam hissed but Rachel just ignored her. She knew that Pam couldn't do anything to her. Especially not if Eric really liked her, the way Pam had described.

"You like me. You like me. You like me." Rachel teased in a singsong voice. Pam cursed under her breath before turning to Rachel sharply.

"You better shut that pretty little mouth of yours before I show you just how reversible that statement is." Pam warned. Rachel just continued smiling and returned her eyes to the window.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." She said and Pam nodded in approval. They pulled up to Eric's house not long after and Rachel sighed deeply as she got out and walked towards the house.

**~Rachel~**

I had to admit, I had missed the large bath that seemed to take away every pain and soothe every muscle in my body. I leaned my head back and drifted down into the hot water. I moaned softly in contentment as I relaxed my shoulders and closed my eyes, giving into the perfume smells of the bubble bath. I was in a perfect bliss until I heard this annoying buzzing sound coming from the side of the tub. I opened my eyes and reached for my cell phone.

"Hello?" I said and knitted my eyebrows together as I sat up in the tub. I hadn't really wanted to pick up the phone but hadn't wanted to ignore it either incase it was Eric.

"Hey Rache." I knew who the voice belonged to as soon as I heard that nickname, "It's umm… Jason."

"Hi Jason." I sighed, "What's up?" So long for my happy place, for my moments of bliss… Jason always seemed to call at the worst possible times. Early on in the relationship he called when Eric was sleeping over at my house at some ungodly hour when Jason was drunk. Eric had picked up the phone. I blocked out the memory immediately.

"Nothing I just wanted to talk, I hope I didn't get you in any trouble or anything with that guy…" Jason's sentence drifted off and he must have been picturing Eric.

"No, it's fine. Don't worry about it Jason." I said and there was a long silence, "Was there something else?" I asked when he didn't say anything.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out again or something again soon. We could see a movie or get some dinner or something." His voice was so hopeful that I was at a lost for what to say, "I miss talking to you Rache."

"I miss talking to you too Jason." I did miss _talking _to him I just didn't miss doing anything else with him. He was a good friend the problem was that we were never really friends so we couldn't really go back to being friends now. Everything with him was always complicated and painful and I don't know how I keep getting sucked into it. There was another lull in the conversation and I could practically hear him smiling, "Look Jason I have to go so… we'll talk about this late kay? Bye Jase." I hung up quickly after that and then dropped my phone on the floor. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I couldn't believe I had just called him Jase, I only called him Jase when we were together and I did not want to give him the impression that that was ever going to happen again. I sighed and left the comfort of the warm water and wrapped a towel around myself. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to enjoy it after that, "Nice one Rache…" I mumbled to myself and quickly got dressed to go and wait for Eric to come back in the living room. I lit the extravagant fireplace like Eric had shown me. The house got pretty cold at night sometimes and lay down on the living room couch. Thinking about how the hell I ended up here. It was a topic that I went over in my mind quite a lot. I didn't want life to be so complicated I really didn't. Unfortunately for me, you can't always get what you want.


	6. I never ever want to go home

**Hey Everyone,**

**I know this chapter has been stalled for a long time but anyways here it is now. My goal this week is to get to 30 reviews because 28 is such an ugly number… so please, help relieve my OCD tendencies. If your life goal is to get mentioned in this story well here's your chance! The next two people to review get a special "thank you" from my obsessive-compulsive side. I know? Isn't that exciting… plus if they leave an idea for what to do in this story I will almost definitely incorporate it! Unless it's really messed up that is…**

**Thanks **

**Summer Jane **

~**Eric**~

I sat in my office for a while before venturing back into the club once again. Chow nodded at me and I ordered one of those disgusting TruBloods to tide me over until I got him. A positive. I took a sip of it and winced. It was nothing like the real thing and truly was a revolting substitute. I didn't understand the vampires who survived solely on it.

"There's a sight I never thought I'd see." I turned around to see Godric was suddenly in front of me, "You settling for something less then the real thing. Are you truly growing soft?"

"You mock me?" I scowled at him. Godric just smiled down at me calmly.

"I am only concerned. Surely things are not so bad with Rachel that you can't go home and taste her instead of that." He looked at the bottle with distaste.

"Your concern for my human is unnecessary." I took another swig of my TruBlood and looked up at my maker resentfully.

"Your bitterness towards her is also unnecessary." Godric told me in a condescending tone. I put my hand on my forehead as if I had a headache, "Shall I be expecting her at my home again then?"

"No, she already went back to the house with Pam." I responded and he nodded and looked a bit disappointed, "Were you expecting to see her?" His attitude towards Rachel was peeking my interest, "Did something happen that I should be aware of."

"Of course not Eric, don't be ridiculous." Godric turned away from the bar, "You know very well that she adores you." I raised my eyebrows and continued to sip at my drink.

Godric stayed and we spoke of more important matters such as the continuous threats we're been receiving from the Fellowship of the Sun. Those nasty little vampire-hating humans were really beginning to annoy me. Godric's behavior has been unusual lately and I wanted to know why he was acting so strangely.

"Are you going to tell me what is on your mind Godric?" I asked. The bar had started clearing out since it was closing early tonight. He looked up at me as if he very badly wanted to yell at me but he managed to keep his composure.

"The way you treated that girl last night… I want to inform you, my son, that I will not let that happen again." Godric stated coldly.

"Really I thought you liked having her stay with you." I finished the TruBlood and chow took away the empty bottle. Ginger took over wiping down the tables and the blonde that Pam was talking to earlier stumbled to the exit still in a daze. Pam emerged from behind the club licking her lips.

"Don't patronize me Eric!" Godric said sternly, "It has nothing to do with me, this is about Rachel and how you act and speak to her." Pam pursed her lips together and decided not to join in the conversation. She left the club hastily.

"I have to go." I stood up and grabbed my coat, "I have some business I need to attend to before returning home."

**~Godric~**

I sighed deeply as I watched Eric disappear to the back of the club. I put my elbows on the bar and Chow asked me if I needed anything. I shook my head and followed Eric to his office. Preparing to apologize for me confrontational behavior. That's when I saw her, one of the fangbangers from the club, experiencing the best night of her life. She was screaming in pleasure as he sank his teeth into. I turned around and walked away, disgusted. That was the business he had to "attend to" before going home to his waiting… I don't even know what Rachel is to him. I clenched my teeth and began to make my way back to my car. I've never really been bothered by Eric's anti-monogamous ways but it's Rachel. She doesn't deserve that and he doesn't deserve her. Once in the car I slammed the door behind me, making the glass shake. I revved the engine and took off for home. I was halfway there when I suddenly changed my destination. I needed to see her. I turned the steering wheel into a sharp U-turn and sped up. Making it to Eric's house before the hour was up. The night was still young and I knew that he wouldn't be occupying his home for a while.

I entered the modern looking house without even knocking. Eric had completely redecorated the old house since Rachel's arrival. Speaking of Rachel, there she sat, on the couch, alone. She was patiently anticipating Eric's return and was twiddling he thumbs nervously. When she heard the floor creek under my weight as I walked into the room, her head shot up expectantly. When she saw it was me and not Eric her face fall into a comfortable smile. She stood up from the couch and walked over to me slowly. I was surprised when she opened her arms and wrapped them around me, squeezing lightly. I looked at her in total astonishment, not knowing quite how to react. She let go and stared up at me.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay at your home." She seemed sincerely grateful, "I know I can be a bit of a burden but you're such a good friend and I don't know what I'd do without you." Her words hurt me, _friend_. I didn't want to just be her friend. Such a meaningless word for such strong feelings I have towards her.

"I'm sure you'd be fine." I said truthfully. She would be fine without me. Eric would take care of her. I, on the other hand, wouldn't be so unscarred if I lost her.

"No, seriously Godric. I feel like you're always there for me and I don't know why you even bother because heaven knows how much trouble I am." She reached up to kiss me on the cheek and I rested my hand gently on hers, "Du är värt besväret, min kärlek. Jag önskar bara du visste hur mycket jag skulle göra för dig _(__you are the worth the trouble, my love. I only wish you knew how much I would do for you.)_." She looked at me as if to ask what I had just told her but I simply smiled and didn't say another word. It was better that she didn't know.

"What has you smiling so?" I asked as she through her head back and laughed. It was strange that she seemed so happy when it was only yesterday night that she was crying her eyes out.

"Eric is going to let Lafayette go." Her words rushed together with a big smile on her face as she gushed about the release of her friend that I knew was not going to happen. Not until Eric got something that he wanted from the prisoner or from someone else in exchange for that man's freedom. I tried my best to return the smile but I couldn't quite manage it.

"That's great Rachel…" I said slowly. She must have picked up on my displeasure because her smile disappeared.

"What's wrong?" She put a hand lightly on my shoulder, "Why are you here? Has something happened?" I was sad that this was the only reason she would think that I would come to see her.

"No. Nothing's happened. I just came to see you." I told her and looked away. A smile returned to her face and took my hand and led me to see next to her on the couch. I let go of her hand immediately and she looked a bit confused by my cold nature. She didn't mention it however.

"Is Eric coming home soon?" She asked eagerly, "I have a lot of thanking to do." She smiled. I didn't want to know how she was going to thank him.

"Why? What's he done?" Other than totally betray your trust. I don't think Eric sees it that way though and I know that she knows about the other women. I don't understand why she puts up with it though. I would never do that to her, she would be all that I needed.

"He's letting Lafayette go." She squealed excitedly. I realized that he must have somehow convinced her that it was because of her that he's letting the poor man go. That obviously was not the case, not if I know Eric as well as I think I do.

"That's great Rachel." I smiled as convincingly as possible but I couldn't quite manage it. She didn't notice, she wasn't particularly interested in me anyways. Her gaze kept shifting the door and back, biting her lip nervously until it finally opened and she shot up from the couch.

"Godric, what a surprise." Those were the first words that came out of Eric's mouth. Not even really acknowledging Rachel running into his arms. He stared at me intently as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "Rachel, go downstairs for a while. I need to discuss something with Godric that does not require your presence." Rachel's smile faltered but she recovered quickly and complied. Kissing Eric on the cheek lightly and giving me a tentative wave as she left.

**~Rachel~**

I waited a while for Godric to leave before returning downstairs. I didn't know what they were talking about and I had no intention of asking Eric. I had slipped on my black Victoria's Secret, nightgown. It wasn't that revealing but it wasn't modest either, which was perfect for me. I tiptoed back into the room though I knew my efforts of being quiet were useless with vampire hearing. I saw Eric sitting across from the fire, gazing into the flames. I was hurt that he hadn't greeted me when I first arrived and now he wasn't even looking up. Instead he just opened his arms for me to crawl into expectantly. That's exactly what I did, I was worn out from fighting so much and just wanted to relax into his hold for once. I buried my head into his shoulder and draped my legs over his lap. He still seemed preoccupied and I waited for words that never came from his lips. I was the first to speak.

"I've been waiting a long time." I said to break the unbearable silence, "I missed you." I don't think I've ever said that to him before and it startled him a little. He looked up at me suddenly and gave me an odd look, "What?" I asked.

"I'm jus not used to you saying endearing things to me… well at least not while you're in your right mind." He said. His expression held no sparkle of amusement and remained serious.

"When am I not in my right mind?" I asked curiously. He raised his eyebrow at me suggestively and I couldn't help but blush deeply when his words finally clicked in, "Oh." He turned back to the fire, this time with the ghost of a smile on his lips, "What do I say… when I'm you know… like that?" He seemed to be deep in thought for a while before answering.

"You said 'Oh my god!' quite a lot." His lips quirked up into a smile, "There are a lot of 'Eric's involved as well but recently you have been telling me something quite different."

"What?"

"You tell me that you love me." He said quietly. I've don't think I've even seen him this torn before. He didn't know if he likes the idea of me loving him or not. I didn't know if I liked it either or if I really did love him. It was all too much to take in at the moment.

"Huh." I said and turned to him, "Would you like to hear me say it again?" I asked mischievously. He smiled and pushed me back down on the couch. Lifting the silk nightgown over my head teasingly.

"I thought you'd never ask…"

**Important Status Update: **

**Hello again everyone. I know this took a pretty fucking long time to post and it wasn't too thrilling but now that it's the holidays it's going to be a lot easier for me to keep it up and make it exciting. Also, I've been having a tidsy bit of writers block but I've also been kicking this idea around in my head about Rachel's sister (a.k.a a new love interest for one of our main characters – I'm not saying who). For all of those who have voiced to me about how you don't like Rachel's push over side, I think you'll really take interest in this new character because she's nothing like her older sister.**

**The point is that I have yet to name this new troublemaker and would really love your help. So press the review button bellow and give me the girl's name! Please? A little background info (if it helps)… Rachel's previously innocent sister – who used to be a lot like Rachel herself – is returning to town, after being at a boarding school in L.A California for 2 years, with a new look and a new attitude. She's more used to vampires than anyone could imagine (because the number of them that live in Hollywood is exponential) but has never been personally involved with one herself. She's recently given herself blond highlights to stop looking like her family. Also she got a bellybutton piecing and tattoo (in a place that is not visible… when she's wearing clothes). Most importantly though, she's completely self-destructive and something that happened in the last two years has changed her forever. Long story short she's not daddy's little girl anymore. **

**I'd really love to hear all your ideas about this character (whether it be a name, what happened to her, story line, love wise… whatever). Don't forget to review… as an update: Team Eric and Team Godric are currently tied for Rachel's affections according to your votes! Keep voting if you want to see your team win! **

**XOXO**

**Summer Jane**


	7. Because I haven't got one

**~…~**

Rachel sat in the middle of a field. The wind was blowing through her hair. She looked around the field. The grass was golden and the sun was shining directly above. It was a perfect and cloudless day. She recognized this place… somehow it felt familiar to her. She couldn't place it though, like this ancient memory long ago forgotten. Rachel heard laughter. The voice was high pitched and she knew it well. She started running aimlessly around the field, searching for the little girl who the laugh belonged to. She finally found her. Playing in the field with her dark hair whipping around her smile angelic face. The girl looked to be around ten years old and was smiling from ear to ear, playing in the field. The girl was wearing a yellow summer dress and looked up at Rachel. Rachel tried reaching out for the girl but she started moving away. Her face was tearing up and she looked frantically around the field. Searching for something or someone to help her. Rachel tried to move closer to comfort the small girl but once again the child moved away from her.

"Shhh… don't cry. There's no reason to cry." Another voice said. A girl with blond curly hair emerged and walked calmly towards the crying child.

"Claire!" Rachel screamed but the girl took no notice. She leaned down next to the child and comforted her, "Claire! Please!" Rachel tried again. This time her best friend looked up. She cocked her head to one side and gave her a sad smile.

"Was it really worth it Rachel?" She asked. Her voice was soft and just as she remembered it. She was stroking the little girl's hair softly.

"What?" Rachel asked desperately. Her feet seemed to be glued in place and she looked up to see that the sun was setting and shadows were overtaking the beautiful field.

"You abandoned me Rachel, you left me to die and you don't even care do you?" Claire laughed. The sound was eerie.

"No… no I didn't. I don't know what you're talking about." She yelled. Claire just shook her head sadly and looked up at the sky, which was being plunged into darkness. Tears streamed down Rachel's face as she stared at her forsaken friend, "I didn't mean for any of this to happen." She said.

"And what about her?" Claire indicated towards the little girl, "Have you completely forgotten her existence or are you simply in denial that you even had a life before… him." She said the last word with such distain. Rachel wanted to ask whom she was speaking of, but before she could Claire let out an ear-shattering scream. Something was upon her, sucking the life out of her. Rachel starting screaming to and the little girl was crying. The last thing she saw was Claire's body going completely limp. The field faded away to black and suddenly she was standing in a cold room that she knew as Eric's office in Fangtasia. She looked around helplessly and realized she was sitting on the black couch. Eric was staring at her from across the room. He smiled and showed off his fangs. Her vision was blurry. Eric was coming in and out of focus.

"What happened to them?" She asked Eric and he just threw his head back and howled with laughter. She sat there in a daze, not comprehending what was going on, "What happened to Claire?" She asked again.

"You act as if you care." She hadn't noticed until he started speaking but Eric's lips were dripping with blood, "They don't matter to you anymore, you don't need them now that you have me." He was suddenly in front of her. He leaned in for a bloody kiss and she realized that she liked the taste. She held him closer to indulge herself in more and licked the red liquid off his chin. He pushed her back and grinned, "See? You've completely forgotten the people who were so important to you merely months ago. You are already losing your humanity. Nothing much will change when I turn you. You'll see." Rachel screamed as Eric sunk his teeth deeply into her neck.

**~Rachel~**

I shot up in bed. I must have been asleep for a long time because Eric was lying beside me, watching me. I must have slept through the entire day again. I took deep and heavy breaths, trying to calm myself down after the horrible nightmare I had just awoken from. Eric soothingly rubbed my back.

"What is it my little lover?" Eric pressed his lips right bellow my ear as he whispered words of endearment to me. I was still shaking a little and couldn't respond to his question. What _was_ it? I couldn't remember it that clearly anymore. The dream was quickly fading from my memory. All I could really see clearly were the two girls. The little girl and…

"Claire! I need to call Claire!" I announced and started searching for my phone in between the blankets covering. Damn it, where had I put it?

"Rachel, calm down." Eric took my arms in his hands to stop my search. Everything was so vivid and real in the dream. I knew what it was trying to tell me, it was telling me that I had to find Claire. That I had forgotten her and played her not answering my constant attempts at communication as her being mad at me but it wasn't that. She was missing and I hadn't done a thing to try and find her! What kind of friend was I? A wave of guilt passed over me and I started struggling against Eric's grip. Of course it was pointless because he was much stronger than me and I didn't stand a chance to begin with, "Calm down and we'll talk about this okay?" Eric tried to reason with this. I dropped my arms and lay back down on the pillow. Resuming the breathing process to calm myself. Deep breath in through my nose and out through my mouth. It was a bit comforting and made me feel reasonably better.

"I had a dream that she died." I explained and he stroked my cheek lightly.

"It was a just a dream lover, that doesn't mean that she's dead." Eric told me. He seemed slightly amused. I didn't take any comfort in his words at all. I knew that something was wrong and I had to find her immediately.

"I need to find her Eric." I stated. I didn't know why I felt so determined. I looked at Eric in a pleading way and he nodded.

"We will, but first why don't you tell me about the rest of your dream." Eric smiled, "I have not dreamt in a millennium." I felt bad for him. I usually enjoy my dreams and I felt that they could work out a lot of my problems. They tell us what has been bothering us subconsciously.

"I don't remember very much of it." I admitted, "Only that Claire was dead and I think we were in some kind of field." I strained to remember the rest, "And there was this little girl… she was crying. I knew her." I tried to picture the girl in my mind. After a moment of reflection I could see the cute face in my mind and I knew who it was, "My sister… when she was ten. She's a lot older now but that was the year my father left. I guess it's imprinted in my mind somehow." I said. I didn't like thinking about my sister too much. It made me feel too guilty and I was already feeling guilty enough as it is. I should probably call her too, just to check up on her, but I know that I won't. We haven't spoken in so long. Nothing I could say to her now could make up for that.

"How old it she?" Eric asked. He wrapped his arms around me and looked me straight in the eyes. Watching every movement like it fascinated him. I continued to stare up at the ceiling and twist a lock of my hair around my finger.

"Two years younger than me so 16 now I guess…" I thought about that for a little while before I realized that I had missed her sweet sixteenth birthday last month. I wondered if David had given her a card or something, there's another person I haven't been in a contact with since I met Eric. Somehow that call seemed to be the most important one to make right now, "Can I borrow your phone, I need to call my brother. I haven't talked to him in two months and he might have been worried." Eric pulled out his phone. I don't know why I felt like I had to talk to David right at this moment but how else could I find out about my little sister without actually calling her. The dream had given me a sense of urgency. I dialed a number that was so familiar I did it without even thinking about it. I waited for what seemed like a million rings before someone picked up.

"Hello?" I was definitely my brother's voice.

"David? It's me. It's umm… Rachel." I was a bit unsure about how he would handle hearing from me after two months of silence.

"Jesus Rachel, where the fuck have you been and who the hell is Northman?" David asked. I guess that answers that question.

"How did you know about Eric?" I asked. Had he been checking up on me? Maybe he had talked to Claire! Or Jason… I thought with a lot less enthusiasm.

"Eric huh? I have caller id that's how genius." David said in an annoyed tone. David was 4 years older than me and I would always be his kid sister. He could never think of me as an adult who might actually have a brain. He was always frustrated with me and always talked down to me. Even after our mother died but he was my brother and I loved him. I had missed talking to him more than I realized, "Don't dodge the subject!" He continued angrily. I wasn't aware that I had been.

"Well, it's been a busy few months and I don't know I just lost track of time I guess… I haven't been anywhere special. It's not as if you tried to call me either." I pointed out a bit testily.

"Think again Rache, I called your house and guess what? You don't live there anymore and then I called Jason… who I thought was your boyfriend only to find out that he isn't anymore and that you had run off with some guy. So I thought that when you decided you wanted to explain any of that to me then you would give me a call and here you are, calling me." I rolled my eyes and looked over to see Eric smiling, "Let me tell you though, I didn't think it would take you 2 whole months to fucking call me—"

"Anyways!" I interjected, "I wanted to talk to you about something rather someone. Have you talked to Cassidy recently?" I asked. There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. I couldn't even hear David's steady breathing on the other end. It was total silence, almost as if the line had gone dead. I was beginning to think that he had hung up on me when I heard David sigh deeply.

"Cassidy…" He played with the name on his tongue, almost as if it were foreign and unfamiliar to him. There was another silence but this one didn't have as long a duration, "No Rachel. I haven't talked to Cassidy recently. Sometimes I even forget that she's our sister at all. Have you?" It was sad the way we had drifted apart from out sister. I didn't want to think about how she felt about it.

"No." I answered curtly. I glanced at Eric again and he held my gaze steadily. His face showed no emotion at all.

"God, how old is she now?" David mused. I could hear him moving things around on his end of the phone. He was probably sitting down. Starting to reminisce about the last time he saw his youngest sister, "I think the last time I spoke to her was when she left for the school. Was that really two and a half years ago?"

"Yeah… she would have just turned sixteen years old. Can you believe that? She left right after my sixteenth birthday and now I completely forgot about hers."

"Right, shit. I can't believe that was missed that." David cursed, "Maybe I should call her." There was another pause, "Or you could…" I realized that he couldn't see me shaking my head but he took my silence as a 'no way', "Common you were always closer to her then I was." I thought about that for while before reluctantly agreeing. David and I tried to change the topic but our minds were both still caught on Cassidy. We said our goodbyes and I hung up the phone.

"Are you more settled now?" Eric asked me and I shook my head. I couldn't put this off anymore. The guilt over Claire was bad enough I didn't want this weight on my shoulders as well. I had to call my sister.

"I'll be a lot more settled in 20 minutes." I said 20 minutes because I didn't want the call to go any longer than that but it might be 30 seconds for all I know. I might only have time to say my name before she slams the phone down. I fumbled around to find my cell phone since I didn't know the number off by heart (it was programmed in my phone). I finally located it, wedged between two pillows. I maneuvered around Eric and grabbed it. Eric looked bored but I just ignored him and looked through my contacts till I found her. I pressed the talk button and put the phone to my ear. Holding my breathe in anticipation.

"Hello?" I was surprised to hear that it wasn't Cassidy who answered the phone. It was a husky male voice. One that I recognized… Jason? I was speechless for a moment, "Umm… Hello?" Jason asked again.

"Hi, Jason? It's Rachel. I think I pressed the wrong number, I'm looking for Cassidy." I said and bit my lip. How could I have dialed his number by accident? I heard rustling from the other end of the line.

"Hey Rache. No, you don't have to wrong number. This is her phone. Wait a minute, I'll go find her." He responded coolly and I heard him calling her name out. I waited as patiently as I could until I heard a distinctive _what? _And then _who is it? _Followed by more rustling noise, "Don't know just answer it." There was no reply, I just heard Jason handing the phone over to the girl who I assumed was Cassidy.

"Hello?" It was definitely her. Sure the voice had matured a lot since the last time I heard it. I didn't know if I wanted to answer her but I had gotten this far, there was no backing out now.

"Hey… it's umm… me." I said. That was a stupid thing to say but it was the only thing I could come up with. There was a long silence as Cassidy tried to figure out who I was.

"Rachel?" She asked at last. Well at least she hadn't completely forgotten me.

"Yeah." I answered, "How are you?" She laughed. There was no hatred or resentment in her voice at all. Maybe I was blowing this whole thing out of proportion. I shouldn't have been nervous to call her in the first place. I was very curious about why she was with my ex-boyfriend though.

"I'm good. This is perfect timing. I just got off the plane from L.A like an hour ago. I was going to surprise you by showing up at your house but Jason tells me you don't live in Bon Temps anymore. I saw him at Merlotte's when I had no where else to go… I would have called you but I lost your number. Convenient right? Anyways, Jason said I could stay with him until I figured out what was going on and where you were and all that. Wow Rachel, I missed you, it's been a long time." Wait? She was back in town. I looked over at Eric with an alarmed expression.

"Yeah, it has been." I replied awkwardly, "Why are you back Cass?" I asked her and there was a bit of a pause.

"Maybe we could talk about that when I see you. Can we meet up tonight? Unless you've got plans or something…"

"No. That sounds great we could meet up at Merlotte's…" Eric squeezing me tightly interrupted my train of thought and I looked at him to see him shaking his head at me, "Actually you know, there's this club in Shreveport that we could meet at. I know you're under aged and all but I'll tell them to let you in." Eric nodded once in approval. Cassidy agreed quickly and we said our goodbyes.

"I'll inform Pam of…" He struggled to remember my sister's name.

"Cassidy." I answered.

"Right, I'll inform Pam of Cassidy's arrival immediately." Eric said and picked up his phone. I sighed and fell back on the bed. I couldn't believe this was all happening so fast. Maybe the dream did mean something. Or maybe I just had impeccable timing… but my sister being in town again after two years of nothing but silence between the two of us. That couldn't be good.

**Happy New Year everybody! It's a whole new year of Rachel, Eric, Godric, Jason and a whole new addition to the story… Cassidy. Cassidy is back in town for a still unknown reason… as in I haven't thought of anything yet and Rachel is going to meet up with her in the next chapter. We are also going to get a little bit of her point of view and what happens when she meets Rachel's new "friends".**

**Please leave suggestions, votes and comments in the review section bellow. The next chapter is already almost done but I might not post it until I get to my very ambitious goal of 40 reviews. Just kidding I probably will BUT I'm real lazy so I promise that if I haven't already the moment I get my 40****th**** review I will post the next chapter within the next 10 minutes of the time I realize I got it (and I check my e-mail compulsively). So make it fast cause I'm real excited about the next few chapters and I hope that you are too!**

**X0X0 **

**Summer Jane**


	8. Anymore

**Oh so close! Seriously… 39? That hurts. Anyways I really wanted to post this and I'm really appreciative of all the people who did review and add this story to the alerts/favorites, so I'll let it go. I hope to get 45 reviews before the next chapter, which I just finished writing. So pretty please?**

**~Rachel~**

"I didn't even know you had a brother that you were in constant contact with, let alone a sister that you never spoke to." Eric complained. I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore his feigned insulted attitude. I knew that he wasn't actually insulted that I hadn't told him about those things.

"You never asked." I pointed out. I know that that's been said a million times before and it's the oldest excuse in the book but in this scenario he never asked because it seemed like he never wanted to know. He never wanted to know where I came from or what my life was like before I walked into Fangtasia that night. I tried telling him about Claire once when I had been upset about her not returning my calls. He had just interrupted me mid-story and given me a pat on the back while telling me that he was sure that she'd turn up eventually. The only reason he was interested in Jason was because we used to sleep together and Eric didn't like the idea of lingering sexual tension. Not that there was any anymore, just to be clear.

"Well… perhaps I shouldn't have to." Eric responded and gave me a sharp look. I returned it and rolled onto my back. The hard leather couch in Eric's office wasn't very comfortable but I kept changing positions in hope that I would find one to my liking. Eric had his feet up on his desk and was going through some files. I never asked him what he was doing nor did I ever volunteer to help him.

"Does that mean that you're going to tell me your entire back story without so much as an inquiry?" I twirled my hair absentmindedly around my forefinger. Crossing my ankles on the end of the couch. Eric grimaced.

"I already have Rachel." He was getting more pissed off by this conversation, I could tell. He was referring to the stories he told me before I would drift off to sleep. Stories of his past lives, there were many hair-raising adventures to be recounted in his 1000 years of being a vampire. I couldn't get enough of them. I constantly begged him to tell me more.

"Not when it comes to your human life." I said quietly. I knew that I probably should have just surrendered to this stupid argument instead of going there. If there was one thing that Eric did not like talking about it was being human. I don't know why but it seemed to me that Eric didn't even like admitting that he used to be a human just like me. Well not just like me… I mean he was a Viking after all. Eric actually growled at me. I retreated and stared up at the ceiling. Not saying another word on the subject. There was a deafening silence before Pam opened the door.

"Queen Sophie-Ann is here and is requesting to see you." Pam said.

"And I don't take no for an answer." The flirtatious Queen of Louisiana burst through the door. Flaunting her extravagant gown. I sat up straight on the couch in a flash. The queen turned to look at me and I tried my best to not start inching away from her. She had a huge smile on her face as soon as she spotted me. Her teeth clicked out and I saw Eric eyes grow dark, "Rachel, how lovely to see you again. There is no need to get up for me, please return to your previous position. You look positively scrumptious." She exclaimed and I relaxed a bit and smiled at her as convincingly as I could.

"Sophie-Ann." Eric warned. I don't know if I was supposed to find vampires amusing but if I weren't so afraid of her I probably would find the Queen pretty funny. She looked away from me for a second to look at Eric and scowl.

"Oh relax Northman, I just came here to talk." She rolled her eyes and sat on the chair in front of Eric's desk. Eric signaled for me to leave and I stood up and left the room obediently. I didn't really want to know what the needed to discuss. Plausible deniability.

**~Cassidy~**

I looked around the solemn room. Jason had his legs stretched leisurely out on the coffee table. His head was leaned back against the couch. Bright images of the news flashed across the screen, another debate with that vampire… the scary woman with the bad hair… Nan Flannigan and Steve Newlin. Out of the two of them, however, I think the really dangerous one is Steve. The crazy ones have always been able to convince massive crowds that their way is the right way. The Fellowship of the Sun is a horrible organization that is growing in size everyday. People are following this vampire hating church blindly. Now that's a lot more terrifying then an undead soul with two sharp teeth. I wasn't really into the whole vampire thing but I could see how you would get addicted to that kind of lifestyle. I stretched myself out next to Jason on the couch. He looked at me and smiled. I'd always liked Jason Stackhouse, he wasn't smart but at least he had morals.

"So tell me what's happened around here, this town seems gloomier than I remember." I said and he laughed. He put his arm around me. I shifted uncomfortably in his grasp.

"Do we really have to go into all of that now? I'm sure Rachel will fill you in later tonight. I mean look at you!" He looked me over, head to toe, for the millionth time since I ran into him at the bar, "Let's talk about you. When did you grow up?" He asked. These were the kind of questions that I had been expecting. Considering that the last time I was here I was fourteen, had dark brown hair and my wardrobe mainly consisted of yellow dresses. Now I was sixteen, had dirty blonde hair (that suited me much better by the way), and my wardrobe contained everything but yellow. Jason seemed astounded when I first saw him and didn't even believe me at first. California had changed me a lot I.

"I don't know. It was bound to happen I guess." I avoided the topic. I didn't want to talk about it too much with everything that's happened. I glanced at my watch and saw that I should get ready. I was supposed to meet my sister soon.

"Are you in trouble Cass because I don't think that running away is really going to solve anything." Jason said in a totally serious voice. Those were supposedly his words of wisdom?

"I'm not is trouble Jason and I'm not running away from anything. It's Christmas break and I just wanted to see everyone again. Is that so hard to believe?" I asked and tried to look as innocent as possible. Apparently that wasn't innocent enough though and Jason just shook his head.

"We'd better get going if we want to get there on time." Jason reminded me and got up from the couch. I had changed into skinny jeans and a cropped black t-shirt that matched my black pumps. An array of different bracelets climbing ups my wrists and not much makeup other than on my lips. My dirty-blond hair had been straightened and I was ready to go to…. Fangtasia? What I couldn't believe the most was that my sister asked to meet me at a place called "Fangtasia". A fucking vampire club! My sister Rachel, never done a thing wrong in her life, Rachel. Maybe she's changed more than I thought. I mean maybe we'll both be completely surprised when we see each other. Maybe she'll be dressed up like a hooker, sporting multiple bite marks like those fangbangers I saw around Los Angeles. My sister the blood donor… better not think about it right now.

Jason drove me to the club. He pulled up out front where I could inspect the line of people. I looked at the place suspiciously.

"Are you sure this is right?" I asked. The whole thing looked a bit sketchy to me and I don't think that my sister would try to endanger my life. Jason looked around again before answering as if to make sure.

"Yep. Looks exactly how I remember." He confirmed, "Want me to come in with you?" He asked but I was more concentrated on the first part of his statement to consider the offer.

"Wait… you've been here before?" I asked incredulously. Jason didn't seem the type to get all mixed up in this vampire stuff but then again neither did my sister. I guess everyone has a dark side. Jason just muttered something under his breath about it being a long story. I refused his offer to come in with me and said my goodbyes. He told me to call him if I needed him to pick me up and I agreed eagerly. I took a deep breath and jumped out of the car. I made my way up to the very long line up to get in, "Fuck this…" I mumbled and walked past all the people in line because I didn't want to be stuck in a two-hour line with a bunch of… for the lack of better words… freaks.

"Hey! You can't just walk up on in front of me bitch!" The first person in line yelled but I just ignored her and stepped in front of the blonde woman collecting ids. The woman smiled suggestively.

"You're bold, I like that." She said and I fought the urge to make a gagging motion. This isn't high school, I reminded myself.

"My name's Cassidy, I was supposed to meet my sister Rachel here." I said as politely as I could but I think it came off a bit chillier than I wanted it to. The woman's grin grew wider. I looked away with a bored expression.

"Ah, so you're Rachel's kid sister." She said, "I'm Pam and I've been informed of your arrival. I must say I expected you to look a tad more like your sister." She looked me from head to toe, "I must admit, I like your style."

"Can I go in now?" I stared her straight in the eye without hesitation. Pam looked startled, "Or do you give the third degree to all your customers? I understand why the line is so long now." I snapped. I didn't want to be standing out her all night. I could get pretty nasty when I was impatient and nervous.

"Don't be snide with me, human." She growled but moved a side for me. I plastered a smile on my face and entered the bar. My first thought was, tacky. I couldn't believe that people actually thought this décor was sexy. I felt dirty just looking around. I guess that was the point. I searched the room for my sister, she was nowhere in sight. I wanted to find her quickly and get this over with. A few creepy vampires were eyeing my up and down and it was freaking me out. I prayed that she wasn't one of the dancers.

"Cassidy!" I heard a familiar voice call me name and I turned to see her. Looking almost exactly how I left her except slightly more mature. In all her purity and cuteness… in the middle of a vampire club? This was going to be a weird night.

**~…~**

The two sisters just stared at each other from different ends of the booth, both sizing the other up. Rachel couldn't believe what she was seeing since so much had changed. Where as Cassidy couldn't believe what she was seeing since everything was the same. It was still her same old sister.

"Okay I don't get it?" Cassidy finally exclaimed. She couldn't take not saying something anymore. It just didn't make sense to her, "Here we are at a vampire club in Shreveport and you are the same innocent girl I remember. Where's the skanky clothing, spray on tan and bite marks?" Cassidy asked. She looked over her sister again who sighed deeply.

"No scandalous clothing. No spray on tan." Rachel stated and continued to stare at her sister.

"Wait? You have bite marks? On your neck… or in other places?" Cassidy raised an eyebrow suggestively and Rachel hit her on the arm playfully and showed her disgust. She moved her hair a side to reveal the bite marks on her neck, "Wow, that's quite the collection." Cassidy sipped her drink and her eyes remained on Rachel's neck.

"Well it's not _that_ scandalous. When I started dating a vampire I had to give up some of my morals." Rachel also sipped her ginger ale. She had bought a real drink and then given it to Cassidy while she took the pop that her sister had ordered. Cassidy was underage after all.

"You're dating a vampire?" Cassidy asked. She was taken a back.

"Didn't Jason tell you?" Rachel dropped her eyes to the cap of the soda can that she was fiddling with.

"Come to think of it I think he did mention that." They stared at each other again. Rachel's mind was going a hundred miles a minute she didn't know where to begin, "Where is he then?"

"Probably in the back, he owns this place." Rachel replied. Wondering if should she comment on her sister's new, edgier, look? Or just stick to small talk about _how school was _for the next few hours.

"C'mon then Rachel. Out with it. Say what you want to say." Cassidy remarked and rolled her eyes.

"You look different." Rachel said and Cassidy laughed.

"I do don't I?" She fiddled with her hair, "Different… good?" She looked up hopefully. Whatever she did to deny it, she was still looking for approval.

"Different… amazing." Rachel smiled, "I barely even recognize you Cass." Rachel reached over and let her fingers play with the dirty blonde hair.

"That was kind of the point." Cassidy pointed out. Rachel opened her mouth to asked her why she wanted to look so different but thought better of it. Cassidy didn't seem too keen on explaining. Maybe it would be better if she bugged her about it later. They were still trying to reconnect.

"So how have you been Cass?" Rachel asked in all seriousness, "I'll tell you everything if you tell me everything." Cassidy was thinking about how she had only come back because she didn't have anywhere else to go and that it didn't mean that this sisterly bond was going to be reconnected but she held her tongue.

"Not much has happened to me. I changed my hair and clothes and maybe grown up but that doesn't mean that I've gone through some life changing experience." Cassidy lied and Rachel nodded, "Unlike you." Rachel didn't believe her sister's attitude. Something _had_ changed within her.

"His name is Eric. We've been seeing each other for a little over 2 months now. He's the reason I left Jason and the rest of Bon Temps to come live with him in Shreveport. A lot of… things have happened since then and I'm not sure if I made the right decision to come but I don't regret it." Rachel said. It actually felt good talking to someone about what had happened in her life.

"Yet." Cassidy finished ominously and smiled tightly. Rachel gaped a bit and was about to ask her what she meant by that but was interrupted by someone clearing his throat above the pair. The two girls looked up and Cassidy took a sharp intake of breath, as did Rachel for that matter but recovered quickly.

"Eric." Rachel smiled at him.

**~Cassidy~**

Rachel was beaming at the tall blonde and extremely handsome vampire looming over us. This was her boyfriend? Oh my god.

"And don't forget about me?" We turned to look at another vampire looking like she was going to a ball instead of a club, "Queen Sophie-Ann and it is very nice to make your acquaintance." The woman took my hand and kissed it. I looked up at her in shock. I felt like my entire reality had shifted and this was some kind of dream. She pulled back from the kiss and stopped her mouth still inches from my hand. Suddenly I heard this click and long white fangs overtook her features. I swear to god I nearly passed out.

**~Rachel~**

Eric sat down in the booth next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Pulling me in closer to me. He was chuckling at the look on Cass's face. Sophie-Ann's fangs were fully extended and she was looking at her menacingly. The sister that I knew would have passed out, but as quickly as it had come Cassidy's expression of horror and shock disappeared and she confidently withdrew her hand. I was impressed by her calmness since I had freaked out the first time Eric's fangs had popped out.

"Likewise." Cassidy told the queen simply and Eric smiled at me. I'm sure he was pleasantly surprise. He leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"Are you sure that's your sister?" He asked and I nudged him gently. He kissed my neck. Cassidy caught this and looked slightly nauseated, "Sophie-Ann, I thought you were leaving." Eric spoke up and I saw Sophie-Ann shoot him a dangerous look.

"I was." She said and stood up straight again, "I hope to see you in the very near future." She directed it at Cassidy. Cass raised one eyebrow at the queen and sized her up.

"I wouldn't count on it." She said light and returned to her drink. Keeping a disinterested expression on her face. I held my breath waiting for Sophie-Ann to do something but she simply laughed it off.

"We'll see about that." She said and smiled.

"I suppose we will." Cassidy turned to look at the queen again with a cold and indifferent expression. I kicked her under the table but she just shrugged. Eric looked amused at least. Queen Sophie-Ann simply nodded once and departed in her usual dramatic way.

"You're a feisty one aren't you?" Eric commented after she had left. Cass turned to look at Eric and I saw a smile creep over her face. Eric's gaze returned to me and I stared back at him. Cassidy was looking anxiously around the room.

"Look Rachel, it's been great but I should go." She said and stood up. I smiled and nodded. Telling her that we would get together again soon. All and all this hadn't gone as horribly wrong as I thought it would. Everything would have gone spectacularly well and without injury if she hadn't stepped out of the booth the moment another vampire was speeding towards us. She slammed into his chest and fell to the floor. Eric suddenly was very tense and the room got a lot quieter. Godric bent down to pick up the girl he had just knocked over. She was clutching her arm tightly and I didn't know what was wrong till I heard four words coming from Godric's lips…

"You're bleeding little one."

**Our little Cassidy is bleeding… at a vampire club full of hungry vampires. This does not bode well for our new character. At least Godric's there right? 'Cause really it doesn't look like Eric was going to do anything. So I know that this chapter was mainly talking with Cassidy being more than a tiny bit bitter… don't you think?**

**Please rate, comment, review, suggest etc. etc. in the review section bellow since I want to get up to 45 comments. There will be more Rachel/Eric/Godric drama in the next chapter. And something about Cassidy's past gets out. I don't have too many hints on what's to come this time but I WILL tell you this much… something about Godric brings out the resentful parts of Cassidy and something in Cassidy brings out the less humanitarian (or perhaps we should call it the Eric-like) parts of Godric.**

**P.S Also tell me if you want Sophie-Ann to show up again because I have to say… I really enjoy writing about her.**

**XOXO**

**Summer Jane**


	9. Take Me Out Tonight Part II

**~Rachel~**

All eyes were on Cassidy. I was used to that I guess. That's what it's been like ever since she turned into a teenager and boys discovered her. Everybody loves Cassidy. And look at her now, blonde and beautiful with the sun kissed skin and bright eyes. I guess I shouldn't really be bitter right now. I mean she is bleeding in a vampire bar. Right now really isn't the time for petty sibling jealously. Eric's office was very quiet and uncomfortable. Suddenly Eric started laughing softly. Godric, Cassidy and I all looked at him.

"It figures." He looked at me with an amused expression, "That your sister would hurt herself at my bar." I rolled my eyes and kicked him lightly. I was sitting on his desk with my legs dangling in between his, since he was sitting at his chair. Cassidy was on the couch looking very uncomfortable next to Godric who was cleaning out the wound. He looked a bit angry and was grumbling something under his breath in a language that I couldn't understand.

"I didn't hurt myself." Cassidy shot back bitterly. Pronouncing every word very slowly as if she might lose it at any second, "He ran into me." She looked at Godric who's head shot up. He gave her a cold look and wrapped the bleeding arm with a bandage a little too tightly and made her softly yelp in pain.

"Trust me when I tell you that I am not the one to blame in this unfortunate event." Godric said to her sharply. I had never seen him react like this to anyone. He tightened the band-aid even more firmly.

"Godric…" I scolded and he let go of Cassidy's arm with distaste. She looked at him through the slits of her eyes and sneered. Suddenly her cell phone rang and she looked away from Godric to dig for it through her pockets. She found the phone and took it out to look at the caller id. She looked coldly at the screen for a moment before silencing it and putting it back into her pocket, "Who was that?" I asked curiously. She just shrugged and didn't look at me. Godric sighed and finished dressing her wound. She got up and turned to leave for the door.

"It's been real nice seeing you Rachel. I'm sorry tonight ended like this but I'm sure we can meet up again soon… without the _lady tripper_ to ruin the evening." She shot at Godric venomously. Eric raised his eyebrows with amusement. I nodded in acknowledgment. Her hips swayed slightly as she walked out of the office but just before she disappeared from view Godric spoke up.

"You forgot your phone." He smiled playfully. She froze and patted her pockets to find that nothing was there. Cassidy turned on the spot to look at Godric who had flipped her cell phone open and was staring at the screen, "Fifteen new voice messages. Wonder who they're from?" Godric teased. Cassidy didn't portray any emotions. She just stared at him as he put the cell on speakerphone and started playing the voice mails. I don't know why she didn't struggle to get the phone away from him and I don't know why he would do this in the first place, I had never seen him act like this. First of all I wanted to hit Godric or do something harmful to him at this moment though I knew it was futile. Secondly I wanted to get the grin off of Eric's face because me looking at him desperately to get him to do something and him in return just looking smug. Wasn't really helping the situation.

"Jesus Cass! Common pick up the phone. I know your there just please." The voice that came from the other end was ruff and heartbroken. I could tell something terribly wrong had happened, "Cassidy I love you and I know that what I did was unforgivable but somehow I just thought we could get through this, I know we can get through this please." The second message was more lovesick then angry like the first one, "I didn't mean it, it was a mistake. A fucking colossal mistake but I never meant to hurt you and I promise if you just give me another chance—" The machine cut that one off as well. The next one was the most desperate of all, "Please Cass. Just call me." Cassidy snatched the phone out of Godric's hand, dropped it and put her heal through the screen for effect. She looked at Godric for what seemed like a very long time without saying anything. He stared back at her steadily. The whole room was quiet. Ever Eric didn't attempt to make a snide remark.

"Are you satisfied now?" Cassidy asked Godric, "Are you proud of yourself?" She shook her head lightly and walked out of the room. I don't know what came over me but as soon as she left, I kicked Godric as hard as I could in the shin. He didn't even flinch of course but looked slightly alarmed.

"You are such a jerk!" I yelled, "How could you do that? What because she was a little bit rude to you after she had just been knocked over? Is that why you felt the need to humiliate her?" I was pissed, "That was my sister that I haven't spoken to in like two years before tonight and now I wouldn't be surprised if she never wants to see me again! In fact I wouldn't blame her." Eric put a hand on my shoulder but I just shook it off angrily. Godric had no reply, no apologies, no nothing. He just sat there and looked up at me with a detached expression, "Do you have to stay here late tonight?" I turned to Eric. Officially ignoring Godric for what I was determined to be forever.

"Unfortunately yes. Go ask Pam to drive you home. It looks like you need to relax." Eric informed me. I wasn't particularly thrilled at that comment but I was too furious as Godric to even notice. I stormed out the door to go find Pam.

**~Eric~**

"Well you truly fucked that one up didn't you?" My fangs extended as they pierced the neck of the blonde sitting on my desk. I drew back and added, "It's nice to see that there's still the Godric I used to know in you." Godric glared at me for a moment and started picking up the shattered remains of Rachel's sister's cell phone. He tried to reassemble it but it was useless, the device was destroyed. I smiled to myself and licked up the blonde's throat before motioning for her to leave the room. Godric sat with the broken mobile between clench fists, "I can't help but be curious… what drove you to such cruelty."

"I thought I would expose some truth about her, I wasn't expecting that." He defended himself. I scoffed. Surely he didn't think that anything good would come of it, "Did you see the way she spoke to me?" He shouted. This wasn't like Godric at all and I made sure to point it out.

"Yes but I always thought that I was the proud and irrational one, not you." I pointed out. This seemed like something I would do, "What did you think she was hiding? You simply proved that her ex-boyfriend or something along those lines did something terrible to her that she cannot forgive. Last time I checked that made her the victim not the perpetrator." I could hear Godric grind his teeth together in frustration. He stood up from the couch.

"Clearly I am aware of that now, Eric." His voice was cold and controlled. I couldn't help but frown. He seemed more upset than I had seen him be in a long time. He paced around the room quickly, "Would you tell Rachel that I apologize for my actions and that I truly regret what I have done?" Godric asked me and I cocked my head to one side.

"Do you?" I asked.

"No, of course not. She was an arrogant and ungrateful little girl and I wish that I had simply allowed her to bleed out. That doesn't mean that you can't tell Rachel the opposite." Godric spat bitterly. I glanced up at him with an amused expression. What is it about Rachel's sister that got him so worked up? Sure, she was a little rude but then again she had been in a stressful situation and I have understood from studying Rachel that human women get very upset when they are stressed. I thought Godric would have been the more understanding out of the two of us. But here he was ranting about the insolent girl while I sat here and watched him. I must admit that I liked Rachel's sister, she was the polar opposite of her sister and it entertained me greatly to see her interact with Godric.

"Why should I?" I remarked and put my feet on my desk casually. The look Godric gave me was the darkest I had received in years.

"Because I am your maker and when I ask you to do something I expect it to be done without question. Do not forget who I am Eric just because I have more empathy for the week than you." And with that he left the room. Slamming the door behind him. I leaned my head back on the chair and watched him go. I was confused. She was just a girl after all, a sixteen-year-old girl. How could she have such an effect on a 2000-year-old vampire?

I made my way home that evening early. Rachel was in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal. She hadn't changed her clothing yet. She seemed tired and weary. She didn't even turn to me when I entered the kitchen to join her.

"I tried calling Jason but he said she didn't want to talk to me right now." She scoffed, "Can you believe this? 2 years of silence, it seemed like one night might be able to close the gap between us and Godric of all people decides to ruin it. And in the process destroy the one way I would be able to get in contact with her directly." She laughed humorlessly. I was bored with her complaining already. I didn't want to talk about Godric or her sister or fucking Jason Stackhouse, for that matter. I pulled her up off the chair towards me. Holding her in my arms. She still seemed discontent but not as much as she had been before. She reached up on her toes to kiss me on the lips, "I can't believe you were the only civilized one tonight."

"Was I?" I raised an eyebrow. I don't think I've ever heard her call me civilized before. Probably because I was never the calm and collected one, that was Godric. How the mighty have fallen…

"Yeah, I mean I kicked Godric as hard as I could I was so mad. Cassidy smashed her phone with her high heels. Godric… well I don't think anyone could ever say that what Godric did was civilized. Or called for…" She drifted off into thought. I scowled forming on her pretty face, "Even Pam was in a really bad mood when we were driving home. She was also driving really fast and I don't know what was wrong with her but I think it had to do with that redhead who rejected her. Queen Sophie-Ann was well… Queen-Sophie Ann. So that leaves you. You didn't injure anyone, try to injure someone, shamelessly flirt with someone, drive like a maniac, break something or totally humiliate my sister." She finished with a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. I laughed.

"Everyone should stop being on their worst behavior. You're all starting to make me look good." She smiled at that and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"But you're not good." Rachel said mischievously, "You can prove it to me if you'd like." I leaned down and kissed her. Even in the midst of a truly unpredictable night it was somehow soothing to go home to someone I could always rely on being there. Perhaps I was enjoying settling in… but I wasn't going to admit it yet.

**Sorry, for the extremely long delay. It was spring break and then a lot of things were going on at school and stuff. Anyways, no more excuses. It's here now and I hope that you will all review! The next chapter will be Rachel central and we will also introduce Sookie into the story. Rachel doesn't take kindly to the relationship she has with Eric. **

**The Dallas part of the season is coming soon as well and I'm excited for that! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the next chapter will coming a lot sooner so don't worry!**

**XOXO**

**Summer Jane **


	10. Because I want to see people

**~Rachel~**

There's nothing to do anymore but wait for the sunset. Why am I always waiting for the sun to go down? I think this god's way of telling me that I've officially dropped out of the land of the living and that I don't belong among them anymore. That I've ruined everything by diving into the darkness and there will be no more resurfacing. But then again… do I really want to go back into the light?

Eric was waiting for me in the other room. Well at least I think he was waiting. When I got there he didn't seem very interested in me. He was staring intently at his blackberry. I hated those things with a passion. They seem to suck out people's soul. Eric was consumed by whatever was on his screen. It was very late and I just wanted to go to bed. He started texting someone, probably Pam and then finally put down the phone. He looked to where I was leaning against the doorframe with a sort of half smile of my lips.

"Tired?" He asked. It had been 5 days since the Cassidy incident. I hadn't heard from Cassidy or Godric since. It was like they both completely disappeared off the face of the planet. Even Jason started screening my calls. I didn't know if that was for Cass's benefit or his own. As for Eric's question I just nodded wearily in response, "Let's get you to bed then." Eric swooped me off my feet and dramatically carried me upstairs to the bedroom.

About a half an hour later I was comfortably dozing off next to Eric. He was stroking my hair lightly and the sensation was soothing me into a deep sleep. Well it was until there was a loud beeping sound coming from that annoying cell phone. At first he ignored it but when it continued to go off with no availed he sighed and answered the demonic thing.

"What?" He yelled into the phone. There was a lot of shouting in a foreign language and then nodding and more yelling. Never argue with Eric Northman, it was a lesson that I'd learned the hard way, he would never let you win no matter what the logic was against him. He finally hung up rather forcefully. He grumbled something that I couldn't understand before getting up off the bed. I sighed and rolled over to look at him. What I didn't expect was that he started throwing clothes at me, "Get dressed." He directed and I raised one eyebrow at him, "Please." He added rather begrudgingly and I smiled unwillingly and nodded.

"What's going on?" I asked as I pulled on a jean skirt. There must not be any costumers at Fangtasia if he was okay with me wearing a short skirt.

"Sookie Stackhouse got into some kind of confrontation with a viscous bull creature or something like that. Nothing new, I don't know why I always have to handle that insufferable old healing lady." Eric grumbled and pulled on a shirt before reaching for his car keys.

"I liked her." I told him. I had come in contact with the witch doctor once when Eric had completely over reacted about me dislocating my shoulder.

"Common, I don't have all night. We won't be back by sunset so be prepared to sleep at the bar and don't bother me about going home." Eric scolded before I even did anything wrong. I rolled my eyes and yawned over dramatically.

"I don't see why I have to come at all."

"Because I don't want to leave you here alone Rachel." Eric responded coolly as he pushed me into the car. I wrapped the sweater around myself tightly and he was suddenly in the seat next to me, "Bill's going to be at the bar and you know what that means."

"All vampire claiming rules apply." I said in a blank voice as if I was a child who had learned to repeat the same thing over and over again on instinct. Eric smiled and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek before zooming off towards the club.

When we reached our destination there really wasn't much to be said. We walked in only to be attacked with frantic questions from Bill. Dr. Ludwig was on her way. Bill was definitely a mess but then again his girlfriend was sprawled out on a table looking half dead. I would be a mess too. When the doctor arrived she ordered everyone out of the room but me. She then started telling me to get a wet cloth and to hold Sookie down. I did everything without question. I knew whatever she was doing it was to save the blonde girl's life. Something that I heard was very valuable. There was a lot a screaming and blood, I had to close my eyes at the part where Dr. Ludwig dug her fingernails into Sookie's wounds. It was too gruesome for me and I felt sick. She was screaming and thrashing, I wanted to flee the scene as fast I could but I also didn't want to let the old woman down. Bill came into the room and started yelling and the doctor. She shooed me away from the waitress and I took a seat in the booth as far away from them as possible. The screaming stopped and I was relieved. I still didn't want to open my eyes though so they remained firmly shut.

"Your human looks like she's going to be sick." Bill remarked. I couldn't see what he was doing but his voice seemed pained. I heard footsteps come over to me and a hand was laid on my shoulder. It was warm so I knew it was either Sookie or Dr. Ludwig. I found it almost impossible that Sookie was walking and I looked up at the old woman. She had always been kind to me, and rude to Eric. I liked her.

"You'll be okay, just take deep breaths and concentrate on your breathing." I didn't think that the old technique would work but it soothed me almost immediately. I expressed my gratitude quietly. She was about to say something when suddenly I was snatched away by Eric who gave me quick directions to go to bed immediately.

"No complaints. Just go." He informed me and I turned to wave goodbye to Dr. Ludwig but she was already gone. Bill was still at Sookie's side when I left the room and flopped down on my mattress. It was less comfortable then the one at home but it was more comfortable then the one I had at my house. I snuggled deeper into the covers and tried to not picture what I had just witnessed in my head. It was hard.

Eric came into the room, not long after. My head was pulled on his lap and he stroked my hair softly. I still felt nauseous but the feeling was beginning to subside. I closed my eyes and blocked out the entire world. Falling into a deep stage of unconsciousness.

**~Cassidy~**

There was really no point of trying to explain to him why I was so upset. I think he thought it was because of Eric, whom he assumed was evil, but it wasn't. I didn't want to talk about it anyways. Especially not with Jason Stackhouse. Eric actually seemed like the normal one to me but after hearing Jason rant about him I wasn't so sure. Godric on the other hand, there were no words to describe what I thought about him. And if there were it would just be a long list of profanities. I was expecting a lot of things but having all my phone messages from Jason played out loud in front of two vampires and my sister, had never even crossed my mind. I guess worst things could have happened… I could have died.

"Are you finally going to tell me what happened?" Jason asked for the fiftieth time. He was getting more and more annoying.

"Vampires suck." I stated firmly. My annoyance was peaked when I heard him burst into hysterical laughter.

**~Rachel~**

The light of the day was nowhere to be found in the light proof room where Eric and I had slept. I knew it was the daytime, though. I could feel it. Besides, Eric seemed to still be fast asleep and he was always awake as soon as the sun went down. I stretched and got out of bed. Images from the night before came flooding back and I flinched. Sookie was probably awake and freaking out by now so I decided it was probably best that I got up and talked to her. Sookie and I didn't know each other very well. We both worked at Merlotte's together, and I had been dating her brother for a really long time. But she had never made the effort to get to know me. I had been closer to her grandmother, who adored the fact that me and Jason we together. Now, I was convinced that she hated me for leaving Jason and for being with Eric.

Eric hated Bill and every time he came up, I would have to endure the constant complaints. Eric liked Sookie, he liked that she was special, much more special than me. In fact I think he liked her a little more than I was comfortable with. I knew that it was a possibility that if Bill hadn't claimed her then I might be out on the streets right about now, or worst, I might be sharing him. The thought made me feel nauseous again and I dismissed it.

"Sookie?" I called out while walking down the gloomy hallway. The bar was dim and only a few of the lights had been turned on. I found the blond girl sitting on a stool in a long t-shirt. She looked horrified.

"Did you know about this?" She exclaimed. I furrowed my brow and searched for a possible meaning.

"Did I know about what?" I asked and went to sit next to her on the stool. She looked at me and I saw that tears had recently flowed from her eyes.

"About Lafayette." She yelled. I swallowed.

"Eric's going to let him go soon, he promised me." I said, "I've been fighting with him a lot over it but he's so stubborn and I finally convinced him to let him go." Sookie looked at me with a cold expression.

"Oh yeah, and when is he going to do that?" She hissed.

"Soon, he promised." I tried to sound convincing but was sure I only sounded like a delusional child.

"And when have his promises ever meant anything?" She was really angry now, "He doesn't care about you Rachel and he doesn't care about Lafayette! He's in chains and being treated like a wild animal, don't you get that? He doesn't care about anything or anyone but himself!" She screamed. I sat and waited until she calmed down a little bit.

"He doesn't want me to leave him." I said in a soft voice, "And he knows I would if he killed Lafayette. But he wouldn't think twice if he was mad at me, or if I left anyways." Sookie stormed around the room again, though I think I had gotten through to her. I sat there in silence once again and waiting for Eric to wake up.

"I can see your feeling better." Eric smirked. I had just witnessed Sookie slap him across the face, and he was smiling. If I ever did that he wouldn't be smirking like that. He thought her feistiness was endearing. On me it was just annoying. My heart was sinking with every witty line between them. I didn't want to watch this anymore. I walked into the back of the club and into Eric's office. He didn't even notice that I was gone.

**A/N: Okay, so here's the deal. First of all I obviously hope that you guys enjoyed the chapter etc. etc. Now about next chapter, there are two possibilities for it and you guys can choose which one you want to read first. **

**The first option is Rachel and Eric central.**

**Or the second option is Godric and Cassidy central… with Jason of course. **

**In the review section either ask for the first or second option. I really don't care which so it's totally up to you.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading!**

**XOXO**

**Summer Jane**


	11. And I want to see life

**~Rachel~**

The rest of the night almost went by without any confrontations from anyone. Eric, Sookie and Bill were still talking – or yelling rather – in his office while I sat in the back room with a trusty magazine. I don't think he even realized I was gone for quite a long time. Suddenly I heard someone calling my name. The door opened and I glanced up to see Pam standing in an intimidating posture in the doorway.

"Eric wanted to know where you wandered off to." She said and looked at my magazine with slight amusement. I sighed and continued flipping through the pages absentmindedly.

"Really? He noticed I was even missing? I thought he was all wrapped up in Blondie." I scowled and wouldn't meet Pam's eyes again. I heard her heels clack on the hard cement floor as she walked closer to the bed that I was sitting on. I felt hands on my hair and long fingers run through my long ponytail. I tried very hard not to wince away from her.

"Eric wouldn't like to hear you talking like that." She remarked.

"Well I don't really care, I can talk however I like." I spat back. My angry was misplaced I suppose. She wasn't the one I was upset with. She just snorted and removed her fingers from my hair. I thought she was going to leave when suddenly my chin was thrust upwards and I was forced to meet her eyes.

"I really quite like you Rachel, don't make me change my mind about you. Besides, Sookie will not hold Eric's attention for long where as you have captured it completely for longer than anyone he has ever met before." I wasn't sure why she was acting so nice but I threw her a grateful smile.

"I'm glad." I admitted and turned my head to the side to look away. I thought about Eric's accounts of his other so-called relationships. They hadn't lasted long, the fascination wore out quickly. We'd been together an eternity in comparison.

"So then don't mope around in the background." She snatched the magazine away from me and threw it across the room, "Go be with him." I stood up with uncertainty and walked towards the door. I looked back at her, mildly shocked by her behavior, but all in all rather pleased that she took to me so kindly.

"Umm… thanks a lot Pam." I said and walked towards Eric's office.

"Don't mention it. I mean that, don't." I heard her calling after me and I laughed and nodded in agreement knowing that she'd see the gesture. I skipped quietly down the hallways and into Eric's office. He was staring at the laptop on his desk and running a hand through his hair. I smiled to myself and came up behind him. I leaned over and wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my lips to his jaw. He didn't turn but I saw his lips turn up into a smile.

"Where have you been?" He asked. His eyes continued to run over the screen filled with incomprehensible text. I shrugged.

"Around." I replied vaguely, "Nothing too exciting. I just didn't want to interfere with your business." I looked around the empty office, "What time did Sookie and Bill leave?" I asked and moved to lean on the edge of his desk so that I could watch his expressions closely. His emotions were so hard to pick up without extensive scrutiny.

"Not too long ago. You weren't interfering. I was simply working out an agreement with Ms. Stackhouse concerning her powers." He grinned, "She's a very special girl." I bit my tongue at that. Not saying what I wanted to.

"Is she now?" I mumbled and sat down on the couch and leaned back, twiddling my thumbs. I didn't really want to hear about how special Sookie Stackhouse was.

"You know she has the capability to read any human mind in the world. She can read yours for example and know that you are extremely scared that my interest in you will be stolen by someone else, someone like her." The way he said it was so casual that it gave me a delayed reaction. I didn't fully comprehend what he was saying until a few moments of silence later.

"She read my mind and then told you about it?" I stood up so fast I got a head rush. I ran up to his desk and slammed down the laptop on it. Making him look up at me in irritation.

"It was part of our agreement." He gave me a toothy smile, "You know I don't know why you think such things. I know you believe it's likely that my affections towards you will suddenly end as soon as another pretty girl comes into my life but you must realize that you mean somewhat more to me than that?" He cocked his head to one side and literally looked concerned. My mouth was gaping open and I had no idea what to say to him.

"You are such a jerk sometime you know that?" I yelled and tears brimmed my eyes. I moved away from him and paced restlessly around the confined room.

"I simply wanted to know what was going through that beautiful little head of yours. It was simply curiosity." Eric defended himself, "She wasn't digging through your mind or anything that sinister I just wanted to get to know you more. In the last couple of days I realized just how little I know about the woman I am living with. It was quite disconcerting to me how much I trust someone I hardly know."

"Then you know what you do Eric?" I retorted angrily, "You open your mouth and ask me about my life! You ask me what I'm thinking about and what I'm feeling! You don't simply get your mind reading friend to find out for you! You could have asked me, I would tell you anything, you know that!" I finished shouting with a huff. Eric stared at me and it seemed that he was at a total loss for words. As if the thought of talking to me had never even crossed his mind, "Unbelievable!" I stormed out of the office and out of the bar as well. I started walking down the road along the trees, it was probably not the smartest thing for a girl to do late at night but I didn't really care. I was shaking I was so angry. It felt like a complete violation of privacy. He knew my private thoughts. Gotten a private tour into my mind. It was chilling and surprising how much that bothered me. I held back tears as I reached into my bag for my cell phone. I dialed a familiar number.

"Hey, I hate to bother you but it's kind of an emergency and I didn't know who else to turn to." I could hear a car coming up behind. I told him quickly where I was and he agreed to come pick me up immediately. I turned around to watch the corvette pull up beside me.

"Get in the car Rachel and we'll talk about this." He yelled after rolling down the window. I shook my head and kept walking, "You're being ridiculous. Where are you planning to go?"

"I called a friend and he's coming to pick me up." I stated self-righteously.

"Oh really who? Jason Stackhouse?" I shook my head, "Godric?" I shook my head again, "Then who?" He demanded, starting to get angry.

"Why don't you get Sookie to come and read my mind and find out?" I spat at him and crossed my arms over my chest. Eric sighed and his head lulled to one side.

"Fine." He conceded. My head shot up in surprise and I looked up at him. He was grimacing, "I will allow you to spend one night with your friend but after that you have to come home. No matter how angry with me you are." I continued to stare at him blankly.

"You can't order me around like that Eric! I'm not yours to control!"

"Rachel…" He sighed and leaned his head back on the car seat. For once he actually looked defeated, "Please come home tomorrow night. I'm asking you to please come home to me." My anger diminished a little bit.

"Is this your way of actually admitting that I am right to be mad at you?" I couldn't help the victorious smile that appeared on my lips. He had never once admitted that he was wrong to do something. And in our volatile relationship we have had many battles. He glared at me for a moment before shrugging.

"However, I am waiting here until this so called friend arrives. I'm not leaving you on the side of the road in the middle of the night just to be dragged back to save you from something. Are we clear?" I nodded and stopped walking along the road. He turned off the car engine and leaned back in his seat again. There was a long silence. Although I was completely furious at him I had to ask him something.

"Why do you want me back so quickly anyways?" I asked. Whenever we had a fight and I stayed with Godric, he never told me to come back by the next night or to come back at all actually. It was always Godric who convinced me that he wanted me to return. Godric, the thought still left a dull pang of hurt when I thought of him.

"Because we are going to Dallas tomorrow." Eric stated, "A vampire in Godric's area has gone missing and we need to find him. He's very important to the Vampire League of America."

"Oh." I stated letting a little bit of hurt show in my voice. Eric let out a long and exaggerated breath.

"And…" He continued hesitantly, "Because I truly _want_ you to come with me." He let out a frustrated sigh and decided to wait the rest of the time in silence. Thankfully it wasn't long until a rusty old truck pulled up beside us. Eric wrinkled his nose in disgust, "Him? You called the shifter?" He said in disbelief but I just rolled my eyes.

"Who else could I call Eric? Jason? Cassidy? Godric?" My angry was building again, "No, Sam is the only half decent normal guy left in the world that doesn't hate me or isn't being a total dick, I'm convinced!" I climbed into Sam's truck and slammed the door shut behind me.

"Thanks." Sam said with a lopsided smile, "I think…" I smiled at him and leaned over to give him a small kiss on the cheek. My phone beeped from within my pocket. I reached to dig it out from my pocket.

_If you ever do anything like that again I will rip his throat out before the sorry mutt knows what hit him. I'll pick you up tomorrow after sunset. –E_

I smiled to myself at Eric's empty promises and then turned my attentions back to Sam who was pretty interested to hear what Eric had done to make me so mad. I told him vaguely about Sookie and Bill coming and the mind reading thing. He nodded and agreed a little too enthusiastically that Eric was a jerk.

"I just don't get in Rachel." Sam said with a small grimace on his lips, "Why do you stay with him?" There was a small pause before he continued, "I mean I know you and me never had a shot in hell of working out but I always thought you and Jason would go the distance."

"What made you think that?" I asked curiously.

"When you were with Jason he used to talk about 'getting you a ring one of these days, a big diamond one'." Sam laughed in remembrance, "You stuck by him when he was in jail for killing those women he slept with. You have no idea how much that meant to him." I shivered and looked away. That had probably been the hardest decision of my life when I decided to support Jason through that whole investigation. One that nobody else understood at the time and that included Sam.

"But he never did get me a ring Sam. He could never commit long enough." I gave him a sad smile but then laughed, "How do you know you and me weren't going to make it?" He gave me a sideways glance and raised one eyebrow, "If I had been a couple years older I like to think that we would have been fine." I smiled proudly at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Stop teasing me Rachel."

"No I'm serious." I insisted, "We were good together, remember?" Sam face was suddenly serious and he turned his eyes back towards the road.

"Yeah, I remember."

We pulled up to Merlotte's and I got out of the car. Sam wrapped his arm around my shoulders and grinned at me mysteriously.

"You called on the right night 'cause I was taking care of some people that I know are just dying to see you." He smiled.

"Coby and Lisa are here?" I asked excitedly. I adored Arlene's kids. Way more than their mother. In fact I adored kids in general.

"They're asleep in my office right now but they are all mine tomorrow. Arlene and Terry went on a romantic getaway just for two." I smiled and thought about how romantic that was. I guess technically Eric was taking me away, but it was to find a missing vampire so it probably wouldn't be very romantic.

"I can't wait." I smiled back at him and looked around the bar. There were still a few customers around. In fact it was pretty packed for so late in the evening. Usually there were only a few drunk patrons waiting for the last call at this time. Sam stationed me behind the bar and said he was going to check on the kids. I chitchatted with the usual customers until I saw the last two people I wanted to see come into the bar, Bill and Sookie Stackhouse herself. As soon as I noticed them I ignored them. Rage forming at the pit of my stomach at the thought of her reading my mind and tipping Eric off on my jealousy. Bitch.

"What are you doing here?" I heard her but didn't look up instead I kept my gaze focused on the counter top I was wiping off.

"Eric and I got into a fight." I replied with as little emotion as possible, "See he got _someone_ to read my mind and then tell him all about my inner workings and now I can't stand to be in the same zip code as him." I looked up at her slowly.

"Does that mean you're not going to Dallas?" She asked. I could actually feel my heart sink into my chest and I looked down again, "Oh, Eric didn't tell you I was going too. You thought he just wanted you there to help him."

"Excuse me." I mumbled and walked from behind the bar towards Sam's office. Sookie ran after me.

"Oh no, look I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way." She called after me but I had already disappeared into the back of the bar. I got out my phone and angrily texted…

_Good luck in Dallas. I don't think you need me there. Sookie will keep you company. _

Sam came out of his office with two little ones asleep in his arms. He hastily handed me Lisa and ushered my out of the building through the back, so not to wake them up. He put us all in his truck and went back to tell Sookie to lock up when it was time. There was ringing coming from my pocket but I only took out the phone to turn it off.

I thought that the next night was going to be stressful but it really wasn't. I was having way too much fun playing with Coby and Lisa who were literally the cutest kids I had ever met. We were currently sitting at one of the booths at Merlotte's with Sam. Coby was devouring his third serving of french-fries while Lisa was quietly sipping on a vanilla ice cream. Sam and I were talking about the latest drama in his life when the whole bar went silent. It was eerie and I looked around to see what had made everyone go quiet when I saw him. Eric Northman. His eyes found mine immediately but I averted my gaze. Sam stiffened and his eyes narrowed slightly. He was walking towards us.

"Rachel." He said simply. I shot him a nasty look.

"Eric." I spat back in the same tone.

"I think you should leave Northman." Sam said and glanced over at the two children staring curiously at Eric. Only then did Eric seem to notice them and how they clung to me. Lisa instinctively moved closer to me.

"Can we see your fangs?" Coby asked and Eric's fangs popped out. Lisa held me closer and I smoothed her hair out.

"Eric, Sam's right, you should go." I said and stared coldly at him. He shrugged nonchalantly and grinned.

"I'm not going anywhere without you." He told her and gave her a cold stare. She returned it but was forced to look away eventually. There was a long silence, "Let's talk about this in private shall we?" Eric indicated towards the door and I nodded. I detached myself from the children. Eric escorted me outside curtly. Once we were away from all the prying eyes I stopped.

"Eric there's nothing to talk about anymore. I'm not going anywhere with you." Just as the words left my mouth he grabbed me and just as quickly clamped a hand over my mouth.

"If you won't go willingly, you have left me no choice but to take matters into my own hands." I tried to scream in protest and struggled profusely. It was to no avail. Eric shot up into the air and suddenly I was clinging onto him for dear life, "You'll enjoy Dallas darling."

**That was my extra-long chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. I'm glad that you all like Rachel and Eric as much as I do… for all you Cassidy and Godric fans I'm really stuck so if you want me to write about them you'll have to give me some ideas. They're all going to Dallas and will be there for the next few chapters! **

**PLEASE REVIEW **

**XOXO**

**Summer Jane **


	12. Driving In Your Car Part II

**Hey everyone, sorry this story hasn't been updating in so long but everything's been really hectic with exams and everything but I'm back now and hopefully I'll be more consistent with my chapters from now on. I was also lacking inspiration but after watched the Season 4 premiere of True Blood (and saw Eric looking extra sexy throughout the episode), I am quite motivated to keep up with this story.**

**So to make up for my lack of updating I have posted two chapters in one. This is Chapter 11 and 12 and I hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 11**

**~Cassidy~**

"Your going to have to repeat that Jason because I don't think that I understood you correctly." I looked at him in an odd way, not truly believing what he had just said to me. He sighed in a dramatic manner and looked me directly in the eyes.

"I'm going to Dallas for a church leadership camp." He said and I almost burst out laughing all over again. I managed to restrain my giggles and try to keep a straight face when I saw he was completely serious.

"You're kidding me right?" I smiled and punched him on the arm lightly, "Jason Stackhouse is going to find god?" Jason glared at me momentarily before moving to the fridge and getting out a beer.

"Don't be making fun of me, I think it's going to be an important step in my life. After everything that's happened it'll be good to get away for a while." I was still a bit shocked by his words. I had never been the religious type and I definitely didn't think that Jason was. But he had let me crash here with him for a while without asking too many questions about why I was here and I was grateful for that. I decided to be completely supportive towards this new venture in the world of religion.

"Okay, that's umm… great." I gave him a genuine smile and walked over to pat him on the back, "What church are you joining?" I asked casually as I got myself a drink as well. He took a long sip of his beer.

"Promise you won't tell anyone, least of all Sookie okay?" He caught my gaze again and I nodded in agreement, "It's with the Fellowship of the Sun." I nearly choked on the drink I was sipping. I swallowed quickly and looked up at him with wide eyes, "Now don't judge…"

"Don't judge? Jason! Are you crazy? Why would you do that? No wonder you don't want to tell Sookie. You know she's dating a vampire right and a pretty decent one at that! And now you're just running off to join a vampire hating cult?" I wasn't exactly yelling but I wasn't holding back on volume either. Jason took a step back and grimaced.

"This has nothing to do with Bill or Sookie. I met the Newlins and they seem like nice people. They invited me and I think it will be a good opportunity for me." He defended himself but I wasn't buying it.

"Is this about my sister?"

"Rachel? Why would you ask that?" He looked away. I rolled my eyes and walked up to him so that I was right in his face. He couldn't look away or avoid the question any longer.

"It needed to be asked and don't pretend like you don't know why I would ask it. Rachel is now dating a vampire. She left you for a vampire. She's happy with a vampire. Are you really telling me that you joining the Fellowship of the fucking Sun has nothing to do with that?" Jason narrowed his eyes at my tough statements but I needed to be brutally honest with him. I wasn't going to sugar coat the truth and I didn't want him to do this for the wrong reasons.

"Maybe it has a tiny bit to do with Eric Northman but I swear this mainly for me. I have to be able to move on from everything that happened in the past year. Everything with the 'V' and Amy and Renee." He told me in all earnestness. I couldn't blame the guy for wanting to get over all of that. It was a lot to go through. I nodded to him.

"Okay." I said and backed off a little, "But I'm not letting you go to that crazy institution alone. If you do then they'll brainwash you and I'll never have the Jason that left back again. And I like that Jason so there's only one solution."

"What?"

"I'm coming with you."

**~Rachel~**

"You can't keep this up forever you know, sooner or later you're going to have to talk to me." Eric whispered in my ear but I wasn't listening. I would ignore him for as long as I chose to. At the moment I hated him more than words could express, "You should have seen this one coming Rachel, at least admit to that." Yes, I should have never left the bar alone with him. I should have known that he was only going to take advantage of that situation to get what he wanted but once again I put my faith in Eric and he what does he do? He kidnaps me! It serves me right for trusting him again. I wanted to scream everything that I was thinking at him but I didn't. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of making me that mad so I simply put my earphones in my ear pointedly. I also played a song that he truly didn't like just to annoy him.

We were on a plane flying to Dallas. Sookie was also in the plane sitting in front of us. I was ignoring her as well. Soon, Eric would have to get into what they called a travel coffin and I was anticipating that time eagerly. After about an hour I could feel that I was no longer furious with him instead I was just really tired. I think he sensed this and decided to start talking to me again in hopes that I would respond. I didn't have the strength to fight him anymore.

"So who were the children you were with at the bar?" Eric asked. It was an odd question to ask me right off the bat.

"A fellow waitresses kids, she was on vacation so Sam was taking care of them while she was away." I answered and closed my eyes in exhaustion. Sookie turned around in her seat to face us.

"You were with Arlene's kids?" She asked and I nodded nonchalantly at her. She smiled and said something about how adorable they were and how she was surprised each time she saw them about how grown up they were. Then she turned back in her seat and murmured something to Bill who was sitting next to her.

"Do you like children?" Eric asked me. This time in a more shushed tone. I lulled my head over to look at him with confusion. Why was he asking me all these things about children?

"Yeah, I love kids. I was going to study to be an elementary school teacher." My college experience was put on hold when I met Eric also I just didn't have to money to go yet but I always thought that I would go back to school. Maybe if I asked Eric nice enough he would help me with the expenses. Eric looked a little saddened by this. He turned to face straight ahead of him and grimaced.

"Thus you want to have children?" I looked at him and I finally understood what he was asking. It was the one thing that he could not give me under any circumstances. We couldn't have children together. I decided to be brutally honest with him, he would know if I lied to him anyways.

"Yes, very much." I said and Eric stood up. I watched him carefully as he put a hand on Bill's shoulder.

"It is time that we retire to our travel coffins." He told Bill and I moved slightly more into my seat so that he could get by me. Suddenly the time that I was anticipating for him to leave didn't seem as much of a relief. In fact it made me a lot more anxious. Maybe I should have avoided Eric's questions, he literally seemed hurt at the prospect of not being able to give me something that I wanted and I didn't want to make him feel bad. Then again he did take me on this plane against my will and I wasn't sure if I was ready to forgive him for that quite yet. The plane was suddenly immersed in silence. Until Sookie suddenly shot up out of her seat and came to sit beside me where Eric was before.

"There's something that I've wanted to ask you for such a long time." She said and I turned to look at her curiously. All the time we've known each other she's never asked me anything. So I was more than a little surprised to hear that she suddenly had something to say to me. I waited for her to continue, "Why did you stick by my brother when he was in jail for the murder of those girls?" My expression fell from curiosity to sadness. I didn't like looking back on that dark period of my life but now it didn't seem like I had much choice.

_I looked at Jason behind bars and I couldn't stop myself from crying. I hadn't cried when Sam had come to my house and told me that my boyfriend was in jail. I hadn't cried when Andy had explained to me what he was accused of doing. But now it was all suddenly real. Here he was, standing before me in a cage. Jason looked worn out but most of all he looked ashamed. He reached out to touch me through the metal bars. _

_ "I didn't do it Rachel." He said._

_ "Oh and you didn't sleep with those girls either because Andy says that he's got video proof." I sobbed. Jason pulled his hand away and leaned his head against the bar. I could see tears forming in his eyes too. I had never seen him cry before._

_ "I am such a moron." He almost whispered, "I'm so sorry Rachel." I swallowed back tears as he looked at me again with those deceitful eyes I had grown to love._

_ "I know you are and I believe that you didn't do it." Jason perked up a little, "I swear I'll do whatever it takes to get you out of here, and I'll stand by your side every step of the way. But when you do get out Jason and we prove that you're innocent we are done do you understand me? There will be no more groveling for me to take you back, no more tears or fights or cheating or love or sex or even talking for a while, do you understand me?" Jason looked so vulnerable. He just looked at me in shock. _

_ "Then what's the point of even getting out?" He said and I rolled my eyes. _

_ "Jason, one day we'll both be very happy and completely in love, I've just realized it won't be with each other. So that's it okay? We get you out of here and it's over. Forever." I looked him straight in the eye and he nodded once. I turned and left him there._

I snapped out of my daze and looked at Sookie, trying not to seem too heartbroken about the entire thing. No matter what happened after that, with Eric and falling in love all over again, nothing would take away the permanent scars that Jason Stackhouse had left on me. That girl he had slept with that Renee killed was literally regarded as trash and he had still decided to sleep with her while dating me. Why? What had I ever done to him to deserve that? Nothing.

"Because it was the right thing to do." I told Sookie and she nodded. There was a long silence that seemed to drag on forever before she finally spoke up.

"He told me what you said to him that day in the jail you know." Sookie said, "I don't think he ever respected you more than he did that day. It really changed everything for him. And for the longest time I guess I blamed you for the downwards spiral that followed. With the drugs and Amy and everything but I guess I was just still mad at everyone after my gram died." I looked at Sookie for a long time.

"We both know you didn't like me much before that. You practically told me so at Christmas one year when I was dating Jason remember?" I laughed, "I guess I never understood why you resented me so much."

"I don't resent you." She said carefully, "I guess I could never completely figure you out and that bothered me." She didn't expand any further than that even when I pressed her to elaborate. Finally I gave up and leaned my head back on my seat and closed my eyes. I fell asleep almost instantly.

**~Cassidy~**

Luke was crazy. As I watched his interactions with Jason there was no doubt in my mind that this boy would go to the extremes to rid the world of every single vampire on the planet. And it was clear that he wanted to rid the world of Jason while he was at it. On the bus to the leadership camp I was already sure that I was going to regret going along with Jason. I put on a brave face and tried to pretend that I was just as into this as everyone else was. Jason looked excited at least and I felt that I owed him something, which is why I came. It was time that I put on that innocent smile and pretended to be the good girl that I had long ago forgotten.

"Are you okay umm…?" Luke said. He was sitting in the seat behind Jason and me.

"Cassy, my name is Cassy." I said and held out a hand for him to shake. He smiled at me and I tried not to shiver. He didn't seem to notice the fact that I was completely put off by him. After endless attempts at flirting on Luke's part and my not so subtle hints that I wasn't interested he was finally distracted long enough so that I could talk to Jason without him overhearing us. I shook Jason's shoulder.

"What is it?" Jason asked me.

"Luke. He's really creeping me out. Can we please change seats?" I whispered. There was something really off about Luke that made my stomach churn every time he looked at me.

"Nah, he obviously just likes you is all." Jason said.

"I know he does. I don't want to deal with him anymore or with people like him." I said and Jason sighed.

"Fine, then I've got another solution that would be a whole lot easier than avoiding a bunch of hormone driven boys for the rest of this camp." I looked at him with one eyebrow raised and he pulled a silver ring that I always saw him wearing off his pinky finger and adjusted it to my ring finger. It didn't exactly fit but would stay on nevertheless. This made me very curious about what he was going to do next, "Just follow my lead." He whispered just as Luke turned around to face us again, "Sweetheart I told you a millions times that I'm going to buy you a new ring." Luke's attention was suddenly drawn directly to us. I got what Jason was trying to do right away and I smiled at him broadly.

"But I like the one I have right now." I pouted, "You don't have to spend all that money on a new one when in a couple a months it won't matter anyways."

"You guys are…" Luke began to say but Jason cut him off.

"Engaged." He smiled and winked and at me and I smiled back. Luke looked at Jason and I could see that he was jealous. So that's how my experience at the Fellowship of the Sun began and Jason and I would have to act as a happily engaged couple for the rest of the time. It was easy to be around Jason, and it was comfortable but I didn't feel any real romantic connection to him. I didn't mind that he was my pretend fiancé as long as it kept all the slightly damaged people I was about to meet away from me. As we arrived and I stepped off the bus hand in hand with Jason I began to sincerely question my decision to go in the first place.

That feeling remained with me and emerged especially when I met Steve Newlin. He was everything I had heard and everything I hoped that he wouldn't be. I saw him sometimes on TV and I always got a weird and uneasy feeling about him and now at such close proximity that feeling was back stronger than ever. I looked around the place I was going to live for the next few weeks and I knew that something was really wrong but it didn't know what it was yet.

**Chapter 12**

Jason and I were forced into different cabins for the rest of the stay since it was divided into boys and girls. I looked around my fellow campers with a wary expression. I knew that I couldn't trust these girls, as normal as they looked, and I was sure that I wouldn't really make any close friends while I was here. We all went around the room and told each other why we had decided to come. As I listened to their stories I started to understand their reasons for becoming so anti-vampire. Perhaps they weren't as crazy as I thought they were, they were only human and some of them had some reason horrific stories to tell. The girl who was going to sleep in the bunk next to me, Marissa, had it particularly bad.

"My mom fell in love with a vampire about a year after they came out of the closet. My parents had been happily married for 25 years without any problems, but my mom she was attracted to the danger and wanted to feel free again I guess. Anyways, she left my dad for him. It drove him crazy and he killed himself that year." There were a few gasps and Marissa started wiping away tears, "My mom though, she didn't even seem to care, the vampire had changed her, she wasn't the same woman who raised me. She wanted the vampire (whose name was Christophe by the way), well she wanted him to move in with us. I was still pretty young when this happened so I didn't have any say in the matter. When he moved in, he used to do… terrible things to me, at night, then he brainwashed me into not telling anyone. It was horrific." Marissa was shivering now. I moved onto her bunk to rub her back soothingly.

"What happened?" One of the other girls asked.

"I went off the rails. Got into drugs, alcohol, slept with random guys I just met. I was a terror and I couldn't deal with what had happened to me. Then Christophe was killed, staked, a few years later by some drainers who were after his blood. My mom was devastated but I was extremely relieved. I decided that it was time to tell someone and join a community of people who would understand and want the same thing as I do. To make sure that what happened to me, never happened to anyone else."

"Wow, you are so brave." One of the girls said and the rest agreed. I smiled at Marissa and she smiled back.

"So what about you Cassy? What's your story?" Marissa asked. I froze. I couldn't lie to these girls now. Now that everyone else had told the brutal truth about the darkest part of their lives.

"Umm… well my fiancé has some real issues with vampires." I said quickly, "I wanted to support him and all." I said quickly and tried to avoid Marissa's gaze.

"C'mon, there's got to be another reason why you're here. You wouldn't have come unless there was a really personal reason for you to come." Marissa said, "You can tell us you know, no one is going to tell anyone else about what is said in this room." I thought about that for a moment.

"It doesn't really have anything to do with vampires. Is that okay?"

"Of course." Marissa smiled and all the girls around me encouraged me to go on. I had to admit, for the first time in a while, I felt safe. Like I could say anything and everyone who heard it would take it to the grave.

"Well the truth is, I've been having a really hard time lately. My parents died when I was little and I was taken away from my siblings and everything I knew to go to a school in California. My siblings completely lost touch with me and I was totally disconnected with my family until very recently." I left out the part about Rachel dating a vampire, "But I only came back because I'm too scared to face what happened in California."

"What happened Cassy?" There was a long pause before I continued.

"I met this boy." I started, "He was everything I ever dreamed of, sweet, handsome, charming, kind, I fell deeply in love with him. But there was always something off about him and he was always pressuring me into doing things that I didn't want to do. I lost my virginity to him, and he also started me on cocaine. It was pretty heavy stuff but I felt like it was okay because he said he loved me and wouldn't let anything bad happen to me." I took a few deep breaths before continuing, "But soon he started pressuring me into other things. I got addicted to the coke and he said that he would only deal it to me if I started doing some thing for him—dirty disgusting things." I held back a few sobs.

"He started whoring you out?" Marissa asked. Her voice, quiet but loud enough for everyone to hear and she seemed to understand what I was saying.

"At first he said he was just short on money and that I wouldn't have to do it a lot but then it seemed to become a sick sort of pleasure for him and he would… watch." I was crying almost hysterically now. I had never told anyone this before and old wounds were rapidly opening again. I wiped away my tears and looked around to see the sympathetic eyes of the other girls patiently waiting for me to finish, "Anyways, after I woke up in the hospital after having overdosed I knew that I couldn't stay there anymore. So I changed my hair, my clothes, everything and just ran. Back to Louisiana, to my hometown and I guess I just tried to forget everything that happened but I can't. My sister's noticed how much I've changed and I keep getting these phone calls from him, apologizing and begging me to come back and I just didn't know what to do. So I guess that's how I ended up here." Marissa was soothing me and the other girls congratulated me on my honesty and told me how brave I was to tell them all that and for the first time in a long time I felt calm. I felt relieved to have let some people in and I knew that they wouldn't tell anyone. They all had their secrets, their stories that had led them to the camp. I had been wrong about these people, I related to them, maybe they were just like me. Maybe they were just hiding from the world they had left behind. I fell asleep that night with a new sense of peace.

**~Rachel~**

I had hoped that Eric would get over what I had said to him earlier by the time he got out of the coffin but he didn't. His demeanor was as cold as ever as he led me out of the plane and onto the tarmac. Two black cars were awaiting our arrival and Eric and I slipped into ours and drove all the way to the hotel without a word passing between us. The hotel was beautiful, modern and appropriately dark. Eric took my hand as we walked in and pressed my body against his, subtly brushing my hair back to show my neck. I knew this was an act of possession not affection and that he did it to send a message to the other vampires at the hotel. I also knew that he would be keeping an extra close eye on me while we were staying in Dallas. We checked in, our sweet was located on one of the top floors and I anxiously waited to see the room.

"You know this was my favorite part of travelling when I was a kid." I told him without warning while we were in the elevator. It was the first words that were spoken out loud between us since we left the airplane, "Seeing the new hotel room that we were staying in. Of course the hotels we stayed in as a kid were nowhere as luxurious as this one but I was always really excited about room service and jumping on the beds." I smiled to myself.

"Did your family travel a lot?" Eric asked but didn't look at me.

"No, that's probably why it was so exciting. We never really had enough money to go far but we took some road trips in the summer. Cass was really little back then and probably doesn't remember those trips but I do."

"Cassandra looks lost." Eric remarked and I turned to him sharply.

"What do you mean?"

"When I first met her I could tell that something horrible had happened to her, first of all she had obviously changed her appearance very recently, secondly she avoided all questions about why she was suddenly back in town and thirdly she had this haunted look about her. Her blood smelled like that of a human that had been abusing drugs and very impure, though it was quite alluring. Godric revealing the phone calls she had been receiving simply confirmed my belief. " Eric explained. I listened in shock, I hadn't picked up on any of that while we had been talking, "She hides it very well, and you shouldn't feel bad about not noticing it."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this before?" I demanded.

"I figured you had enough to deal with."

"I'm not that fragile Eric."

"You're extremely fragile Rachel." He stated and we returned to the silence.

Things were uncomfortable between Eric and I for quite a while. He lounged on the couch flipping through the channels as I unpacked.

I sighed, exhausted, and finally went to bed an hour later. Neither me nor Eric were in the mood for conversing with each other or even being pleasant to each other for the time being and I didn't see the point of being awake anymore. I barely heard the door close behind Eric as he left the sweet in the middle of the night, when he thought I was definitely asleep. But I didn't really take notice of it, I was drifting the middle of dream and reality.

_Light. It was extremely bright, wherever I was. The light was shining in through a huge skylight above me. I squinted and looked up at it. Someone was standing in front of me. I knew him. Jason. He was standing there in front of me all in white. Beside him was someone else I knew. Cassidy. She was smiling at me. Her blonde hair glimmering in the sunshine, she was also only wearing white. It was strange and yet they looked somewhat angelic. I looked down at my own appearance only to see that I was dressed completely in black. _

_ "What happened to you Rachel, you used to be so pure, so kind and look at you now." Cassidy spoke first and she was no longer smiling. Instead she wore a look of hatred. Jason wrapped his arm firmly around her waist, "You are such a disappointment to us."_

_ "A spawn of the devil." Jason said and furrowed his eyebrows at me. He looked down at Cassidy, "I will repent for ever even involving myself in such a sinful creature." Cassidy smiled up at him and he returned the gesture before leaning down and kissing her firmly on the lips. I started to back away from them in shock. Not fully comprehending their hurtful words on what I had just witnessed._

_ "Oh my darling sister, you're not going anywhere." Cassidy pulled away from Jason and started advancing on me._

_ "What? Why?" My voice seemed panicked. Cassidy caught my arm and held onto me. I tried to struggle free but she was extremely strong. Suddenly, other people (men and women) dressed in white started to surround me. They all seemed to be reaching towards me. I once again tried to force Cassidy away from me but she didn't budge, "Why are you doing this to me?" I screamed._

_ "You have gone turned away from god and you must be punished for sympathizing with the devil. You must be cleansed of your sins." Cassidy told me and let go of me as the other people started to descend upon me. I shrieked as multiple pairs of hands started to grab me and grope me. Through the crowd I could see Cassidy and Jason, sitting back and watching without doing a thing to defend me._

I heard myself truly screaming as I shot up in bed.

**If you want me to update even more quickly, I feel really guilty not writing more when a lot of people review. So please feel inclined to do so and let me know if you have any ideas of what should happen next so I can include them or just a leave a comment. Thanks**

**XOXO**

**Summer Jane**


	13. Oh, Please Don't Drop Me Home

**Chapter 13 **

**The Tipping Point**

**~Rachel~**

Eric started shaking me frantically, I couldn't control the screams, they overcame me and I was helpless against the fear and panic that I felt in those moments. My sister and ex-boyfriend had been watching me smugly, giving me over to the people in white. It was horrifying to think about. I continued to struggle against Eric's grip until a firm had gripped down over my mouth and I could no longer scream or move. It was only then that I opened my eyes to look at him.

"Rachel! What happened?" His voice took a while to register, my brain processing his question at an extremely slow pace. He helped me sit up in bed and lean against the backboard. I looked down at the sheets that were twisted around me in an uncomfortable way. I felt sweaty and shaky, and I still couldn't form words to explain to Eric what had happened. He sat there, on the edge of the bed, waiting patiently. Something I don't think that I've ever seen him do. Finally I was able to speak up.

"It was a nightmare." I said.

"Yes, I know that but you're going to have to elaborate a little bit." Eric was beginning to get frustrated. His tone was stern and he was tapping his fingers impatiently on the bedspread.

"Cassidy and Jason were… well I don't know where they were but it was very bright. They were saying all kinds of awful things to me. Religious things. Like how I was a sinful creature and they would repent just the fact that they had once been involved with me. Then they said something about the devil and how I needed to be cleansed. All these people dressed in white started to surround me and they were holding me down… it was terrifying." I picked up the glass of water that I had left on my bedspread the night before. I took shaky sips of the water and it soothed my breathing a little bit and felt nice against my throat that was horse from screaming.

"Hmmm…" Eric said as he looked at me, "That's all?"

"What do you mean _that's all_? Isn't that enough?"

"It was just a dream Rachel." Eric said. His brow furrowing slightly, "I know it was scary but it was simply a dream and therefore cannot hurt you."

"It was not just a dream!" I exclaimed. I laid the glass back down on the bedside table and caught his eyes, "Eric, it felt so real you have no idea. It was like I was really there. It was like they were really watching me get killed. I felt like that whole place truly existed and that were coming to get me."

"Well the place truly does exist." Eric stated and gave me a blank look, "It's called The Fellowship of the Sun. I was watching a piece on them last night on the television. You must have fallen asleep while listening to it, and then you dreamt about them. I don't see why you're getting so worked up about this." I sighed and slid back into bed. Wrapping the warm blankets around me in hope that they would offer some sort of comfort.

"Can't you see that something has really upset me Eric, can't you just sympathize with that for once?" I was becoming indignant.

"No. You're just tired and irritable. This was just a dream and it didn't mean anything. God, you're human emotions are really running away from you tonight. I don't know why I thought that I should bring you here." Eric muttered.

"I didn't even WANT to come Eric! You kidnapped me remember, against my will! And THEN you got upset because I said that I wanted to have children, which I really do by the way, and you can't give me them. You refused to talk to me for an extremely long time and then you talked about Cassidy like you know her better than I do."

"Perhaps I do!" Eric yelled, "How could you not see how disturbed she was? How completely haunted by her past she looked? Well actually, I quite understand why you didn't notice. You haven't exactly been the most caring sister in the world since she was sent away to school. She probably felt completely alone and abandoned and I don't blame her."

"You don't know anything about why we lost touch so don't talk about it like you do. And don't you dare tell me that I'm not caring. I don't want to hear those words coming out of your mouth of all people."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Eric hissed.

"You can't even tell me that you love me. You can't display any real emotions in fear that you'll expose yourself to actually have feelings! You don't care about anyone but yourself and I've been a fool to think differently." I was on the brink of tears now, "So don't tell me that I'm the uncaring one."

"Where's Claire huh Rachel?" Eric was spitting at me now. His face was contorted with fury, "Where is she? Have you forgotten about your poor missing friend? You never really went looking for her did you? Never really missed her enough to do so! She was your best friend and she just disappeared and you don't seem to mind at all. No, you're way more concerned whether I love you or not. Have you thought that maybe I don't tell you those three words because they're untrue. Maybe it has nothing to do with exposing myself to my emotions, perhaps it's just the fact that I don't love you and I never will." There was a deadly silence as I just stared at him. I refused to cry. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction, "You gave me everything I wanted. Everything I asked, of your own free will. And I know that you have doubts about this entire relationship. I know that sometimes you look in the mirror and you no longer see yourself and that's because you aren't the girl who walked into my bar with your best friend that night, you've changed. You've grown cold and more ruthless. Sometimes you have a moment of complete clarity and goodness but just like that it fades again and you lose your inhibitions once more. You are nothing but the ghost of the caring little good girl you used to be. Now, you're nothing but a puppet. My puppet. And I know you think that you have more control but the fact is that you don't and you never will. So don't pretend that you feel bad about what happened to your sister or what happened to Claire because the reality is that you're not. You've become so absorbed with me and the world that you stumbled into, that you can't even think anymore. I've made you what you are today and I pity you because you will never be the same again." With that he stormed out of the hotel room. Leaving me standing there in complete shock. Then it hit me like an immovable force. He was right.

I closed me eyes in exhaustion. I was worn out. I didn't want to fight anymore. I didn't want to lose myself into his world anymore. I wish that I had been strong enough to resist his influence but I wasn't. For the first time ever I wish that I hadn't walked into that bar and met him. I wish I hadn't met any of them, Godric included. They were all a part of my demise. I didn't want to be a puppet anymore. I knew that I loved him, too much. But my opinion of what love is had completely changed. I no longer thought that it was a beautiful thing. I no longer wanted to be in love with him. It hurt too much. It hurt too much and nothing good would come out of it in the end. Nothing more could even happen between Eric and I, we would forever be stuck in the middle. In that moment I was more scared then ever about being left behind He would undoubtedly move on because that was what he had been doing for the last thousand years. And what could I do about it? Nothing. I was powerless and it was my own fault. I had let this happen to me but no more. I had to face up to this reality, which was my life.

I was tired and all I wanted to do was sleep, though I was afraid of what my subconscious held. Soon, I fell into a deep and dreamless oblivion. Tears streaking my cheeks, I dreaded to coming morning because I knew what would have to be done. It was a result of knowing one, ultimate understanding about the relationship that Eric and I had. I couldn't deny it anymore and I couldn't hide from the truth. I was scared but certain. The one understand was simple, it was over.

The next morning I awoke at around 8am. I got up and found Eric in the next room in the spare bedroom. I opened the door, careful to not let any light in, but even in the darkness I could make out the outlines of two naked bodies. Eric, and a female companion with two distinguishable bite marks on my neck. I only smiled to myself. Closure.

I closed the door and went to retrieve my suitcase from underneath the bed in the other room. I had to work quickly if I didn't want to be caught. I called the airlines and was lucky to get a seat from a cancelation on the earliest flight back to Shreveport, Louisiana. The place took off in 2 hours, which gave me more of a reason to hurry. I had my backs packed and ready to go within half an hour. I forced myself not to cry when I folded and left my Fangtasia t-shirt on the bed, along with two diamond necklaces, a bracelet and a pair of earrings, all of which he had given me. It was painful to think about leaving the things that I had been so eager to receive behind. I could feel the never-ending aching in my chest. I had a feeling that the pain wouldn't go away for a very long time. I dragged my suitcase into the beautiful living room and looked around one last time. It was cold and empty. A sort of feeling that I assumed I would have to get used to.

"Who are you?" I turned around to see a woman, probably in her mid twenties and wrapped in a bathrobe, come out of the guest room.

"I'm no one, it doesn't matter." I replied. She looked an awful lot like me, same skin color, same hair color and length, same sort of physique. But she wasn't me. She was some replacement. Some pawn in Eric's never-ending game.

"Do you know Eric?" She asked and I nodded in reply, "Are you leaving?" She looked at the suitcase.

"Yes, I am." I stated. Finally, admitting the inevitable to myself. I opened my mouth to speak again but the words that I wanted to say got stuck in my throat. Earlier I had thought about writing a note to Eric, explaining myself but it was too difficult and I wouldn't know what to say anyways. I was planning on simply departing without a word, without an explanation. Completely willing to let him wonder what finally got to me, to draw his own conclusion. But I realized then, upon looking at the woman in front of me, that he didn't deserve that. After everything we had been through, that wouldn't have been fair of me, "Can you give him a message for me when he wakes up?" The woman nodded in agreement, "You promise you'll tell him? It's very important."

"I promise." She said.

"Just tell him that he was right." I thought for a moment, "And that I'm sorry." The woman nodded at me and I glanced at the door to the spare bedroom once more before leaving the hotel room. As I walked out of the hotel and called for a taxi, I allowed the numb feeling to take over me. I wouldn't allow myself to cry until I got home, for now all I could do was watch as the world spun around me. All I could do was feel the cold seeping into my veins. I didn't want anything, I didn't need anything and I didn't feel anything. That was all I could do for now. Who knows what I was going to do after this. I didn't know if I could even survive this. The feeling that was overtaking me didn't just feel like heartbreak, I had felt that a million times before. It felt like I was suffocating. It felt like death.


	14. Because It's Not My Home

**Chapter 14**

**This Changes Everything**

_They had nothing left to say to each other. As they stood there in complete silence, thoughts of a past life were filling her head. She didn't like the feeling. Things had been repressed for so long that everything felt like it was about to come flooding out. But it didn't. She wouldn't let it. So she decided that she should be brave, confident and speak like she regretted nothing._

_ "So, how have you been?" Rachel asked and tried to force a small smile. He looked the same as he always had. Just as handsome, just as intimidating, yet somehow he was different. His stony expression never changed and he looked like he wasn't about to answer her question, "I saw you on television the other day." Nothing. Rachel was starting to get extremely uncomfortable. She didn't want to be here anymore. A lot of things had changed and she felt like she was being sucked back into her old life. She sighed deeply and lowered her eyes, "Don't do this Erik okay? Just say something and then we can both walk away and you'll never have to see me again." _

_ "Cassidy invited you." He stated coldly._

_ "Yes, it's kind of an important day for her and she wanted me here."_

_ "You've been in contact with her all this time." Erik said, his eyes narrowing slightly. She didn't like where this conversation was going but she nodded anyways, "Godric?" She nodded again, "Jason Stackhouse?" She continued to nod and looked around the room awkwardly, searching for some kind of escape mechanism. _

_ "Is that all you want to know?" She asked and arched an eyebrow at him._

_ "Married?"_

_ "No."_

_ "Boyfriend?"_

_ "No one will ever come close to you Erik, if that's what you're worried about." She thought about her short and failed relationships from the past few years and decided that none of them were even worth mentioning, "How about you? Did you settle down with the girl of your dreams yet?"_

_ "You know me." He shrugged the question off._

_ "No, I don't think I do."_

_There was another silence as the two looked at each other silently. There was so much to say and yet nothing even came close to exiting her lips. _

_ "So about this wedding…" She started to say but Erik cut her off with a laugh._

_ "I know. It's ridiculous isn't it?" He seemed more at ease now and Rachel couldn't help but smile._

_ "Completely." _

**1 Year Earlier**

**Cassidy and Jason**

"I can't believe you just left." Cassidy was shocked as she spoke on the phone with her sister. Jason was looking at her with a confused expression but didn't say anything. They has been invited to Steve and Sarah's house for dinner and were about to leave when Cassidy got a call from Rachel, who sobbing uncontrollably, "No, I'm not saying that I think you made the wrong decision at all, it just doesn't seem like you to just disappear without a word like that. Just tell me what happened." Cassidy listened carefully to Rachel tell the story of why she left Erik and why she didn't see herself coming back any time soon. She had to admit, she was rather impressed. She thought that maybe it was okay to run away from all your problems sometimes. It somewhat justified how cowardly she had been when she had left California, "So where are you going to go? Do you have any sort of plan at all?" She asked. Jason was still waiting patiently for her to finish the phone conversation, "Well it's just that I think he'll probably come after you and he'll be able to find you much faster than a human would have been able to. Okay, okay, well let me know when you finished packing and have figured it all out. Good luck, bye." She hung up and sighed deeply. Collapsing on the couch behind her. Jason and her exchanged a look.

"That was Rachel?" He asked, seemingly confused.

"Yeah, she just left Erik." Cassidy stated. Though Rachel had explained the general idea of what had happened she still couldn't grasp what had made her act so rashly like she did, "She just left, flew back to Shreveport, is collecting her stuff and then she'll be gone. Out of his life. Out of our lives. She says she doesn't know where she's going but there's no way she going back to live in Bon Temps." Jason was just staring at her with his mouth wide open. He suddenly leaped into action.

"Do you think I should call her?" He looked hopeful. A new light was restored in his eyes and Cassidy knew exactly where it came from.

"No, Jason that would be the worst thing you could do right now."

"Why?" Jason demanded, "Maybe she realized that she made a big mistake when she left me for Erik. Maybe after all this time she's finally come to her senses. Things could a different this time between us. We could run away together and never turn back. If I don't take this opportunity now, I might lose her forever." Cassidy stood up very slowly and put her hands on Jason's shoulders, her eyes were dead serious and fixed on his.

"I'm going to say this to you now and I know it's going to hurt but you have to believe me and listen okay?" She paused and Jason nodded rather hesitantly, "You've already lost Rachel forever." Jason sighed and started to move away from her, "No listen! She's gone Jason, she left you for Erik and she left Erik to start a new life. You two are so far over that there is no hope of repair." Jason flinched, "Look I know you don't want to hear this but you did this to yourself. If you truly loved her you wouldn't have cheated on her, you wouldn't have abused her trust and naivety. You can never take back all that's happened between you two. There's too much pain and suffering. It's over Jason and her moving away might be the best thing that's ever happened to you."

"Oh yeah? And how do you figure that?" He spat at her angrily.

"Because you finally have a clean chance to move on." She said softly, "Look around you… isn't that what you wanted, a second chance, a new life, forgiveness? Well you've got it. Now it's time to get over Rachel once and for all." She approached Jason once again who was standing completely still and staring at her intently. She leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Move on Jason, it's time."

That's when it happened. Jason grabbed her face in his large hands and kissed her furiously. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flat against his body. It would have been easy to get lost in the kiss, to get wrapped up in Jason and just let go of everything. But she couldn't do that to herself.

"No Jason, not with me. You know that's not what I meant." She said softly and pushed him off.

"Why not with you? We could be really good together you know. We're already pretending to be engaged. I like you Cass, this could work." Jason sounded almost desperate as he ran his hands threw her hair and leaned down to eye level.

"Because we're not meant to be together."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. I feel it." She sighed. Jason looked sad and completely drained of energy. She had never seen him look like this, so sincere, "Hey look, I'm your friend and I know that you're going to meet some girl who is perfect for you and who wants you just as much as you want them. But Jason I got to tell you something, when you find that girl you better stop sleeping around or I'm going to find you and knock some sense into you." She smiled and Jason laughed and nodded.

"You're right, what the fuck was I thinking? You and me?" He laughed.

"Ridiculous." She smiled tightly and swallowed, "Now we'd better get to Steve and Sarah's before they sacrifice us on a cross or something." She took his hand in her own and they walked together to the Newlin's house. Both completely lost in their own world of thoughts.

**Godric**

Empty. Everything was dark and blurry. Erik's voice drifted away from him as he put down the phone and stared blankly at the wall. She was gone, she had left him and now he had nothing to hold on to. No hope that perhaps she would come around and see that he had been there for her all along. To see that he was always there to pick her up when she was down. When Erik had kicked her to the ground. He had been there, always. And now she was just gone without a word. There were no long and drawn out goodbyes, filled with apologies and begging her not to leave. There was none of that. He had never had the opportunity to apologize for the event that had happened with her sister. Now the guilt would plague him for an eternity. He would have no closure. No way to tell her how he truly felt about her. She was truly gone.

His loyalty to Erik was being tested. He couldn't truly in good conscience go behind his progeny's back and call her, go to speak to her, ask her to run away with him and to never go back, never look back. No. He couldn't do that, not after all the time he had been with Erik, not with the love he had for him and the respect and bond they shared. A betrayal like this could never be repaired. He had to face the fact that he would probably never see the girl of his dreams again and now the emptiness he had felt, the deep sadness he retained, he felt it at full force. Godric picked up the phone again and began to speak to Erik who sounded almost frantic. He was shouting and cursing in Swedish, talking about finding her and bringing her back against her will. Godric knew that Erik wouldn't do any such thing. These were all empty promises that would never be fulfilled. He couldn't comfort Erik now or being him to see reason. So he allowed him to vent. His phone buzzed as someone else tried to reach him at the same time. He ignored it without even checking who it was and listened to Erik with sympathetic ears. He could practically feel the pain in his voice and it made his heart tear even more. Everything was different now. Nothing would ever be the same as it was before. Not with him, not with Erik, not with anyone. Isabelle walked into the room and saw the streaks of red from the tears that had slipped down Godric's face only moments ago.

"Erik where are you?" He asked. He himself was in his house, his bedroom to be more precise, sitting on the bed and staring up at Isabelle's concerned expression.

"At the hotel. I can't leave yet. Perhaps she'll come back soon. She can't actually be serious about this. She's just angry with me right now, blowing off steam and overreacting as all human's do. She'll be back soon." Erik's desperation only made Godric put his head in his hands and restrain himself from screaming. Anger over took him. How could she be so selfish? How could she do this to Erik or even him? She should be coming back soon and begging him for forgiveness. He would laugh at her then and refuse her.

Erik and Godric conversed for a while longer before Erik finally said firmly that he simply wanted to be left alone at the moment. Not once admitting that this had actually truly affected him emotionally. But eventually the phone call ended and Godric had to face Isabelle.

"Rachel's gone." Was all he said and Isabelle nodded in understanding.

"I know, Godric I am truly sorry." Her heals clicked against the floor as she came closer to him. Reaching out to embrace him but he raised his hand to stop her abruptly.

"Don't be silly, there is no need for you to apologize, you have done nothing wrong. It is Rachel who has something to be sorry for, Erik is truly in distress." Godric tried to take all the hurt out of his voice and sound as professional as possible. Isabelle wasn't buying it at all.

"As are you I can tell. The way you talked about her I know you cared about her much more than you let on. It's okay to admit it Godric, I won't tell anyone."

"No matter, it's a moot point. She is gone now. She ran away."

"Not from you, from Erik…"

"Erik is my family. I shall not betray him!" Godric shouted. Isabelle recoiled and nodded her head slightly. Godric dismissed her with a wave of his hand and she left the room. His phone blinked beside him and he opened it to see that he had received a voice mail. He decided that it might be important and contain information about the missing sheriff that they needed to find so he decided that he should listen to it just in case.

_ "Godric, it's me." _Godric recognized the voice immediately. She sounded shaky and worn out, _"When you get this you'll already know what's happened. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if you're talking to Erik right now." _She laughed humorlessly and cleared her throat, _"Anyways, I didn't want to leave things with you the way we did. It wouldn't be fair… to either of us. I wanted to talk to you in person but I left in such a rush…" _Her voice drifted off, "_I just couldn't stay anymore Godric. I realized that I was throwing my life away before it even started. I had dreams you know. I had dreams about going to college and becoming an author, a teacher or even a lawyer or something. Leaving Louisiana and Bon Temps for good and never looking back. But I put all that on hold for Erik, I thought that I would go back to it later, once Erik and I had truly settled in together. But I know now that if I stayed I would never leave. And I can't do that, I can't just give up the rest of my life for someone who might not at all be interested next year, or even tomorrow and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it." _There was another long pause, _"I don't expect you to understand but I wanted to explain it to you anyways. I'm really going to miss you Godric and I'm sorry I was ignoring you before I was just so… angry and I shouldn't have shut you out. You were always there for me and you're probably the kindest person I've ever met… anyways none of that matters now. Goodbye Godric. I'll truly miss you."_

And with that, the line went dead.


End file.
